Effective oil/water separation and removal of organic pollutants from water by taking advantage of new materials and techniques is essential for the protection of water sources and bodies throughout the world. Recently, polymeric nanocomposite materials have been the focus of intense research owing to high surface-to-volume ratio, enhanced absorption of nonpolar molecules promoted by increased attractive van der Waals interactions relative to polymers, and possibility to manipulate and tailor the internal nanostructure of polymeric base matrix to achieve high porosity and surface area.<br/>We report a facile approach to fabricate highly porous nanocomposites made from polycaprolactone (PCL) and boron nitride (BN) nanoplatelets using high-energy intensity sonication-assisted coprecipitation mixing and supercritical CO<sub>2</sub> drying, which eliminates fractures and interfacial defects of such materials due to the excellent dispersion and distribution of the nanoparticles in polymeric hosts. The incorporation of BN nanoplatelets had two key benefits on PCL foam: First, the presence of BNNP enhanced the porosity and internal roughness of PCL foam. Second, BNNP also improved oil compatibility due to its nonpolar nature. Through a synergistic combination of surface morphology and interfacial tension effect, PCL:BNNP foams achieved a high hydrophobicity with a contact angle of 135° while being strongly oleophilic with a near zero contact angle for oils and nonpolar organic solvents. The absorption capacity was 6.1, 5.8, 4.3, 3.7, and 3.4 for paraffin oil, silicone oil, corn oil, hexadecane, and n-hexane, respectively. Additionally, the developed nanocomposite foam also exhibited low-density, mechanically stable, promising reusability and oil stability. Overall, this study offers a novel and facile strategy for fabricating porous nanocomposite materials with a strong potential in the applications of environmental remediation.

Nanocomposite foam involving boron nitride nanoplatelets and polycaprolactone: Porous structures for oil spill cleanup

256th National Meeting (2018)

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