Membranes with special wettability are ideal candidates for the remediation of oily wastewater; however, fabricating superwetting membranes with facile and low-cost processes still remains a challenge. Herein, a one-step, inexpensive and effective method was developed for fabricating superhydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) porous membranes via the sodium periodate-induced rapid polymerization and deposition of plant-inspired adhesive catechol (CA). Compared to the traditional processes and other advanced methods reported to date, our protocol shows much faster deposition rate and enhanced surface properties. The as-modified membranes exhibit superhydrophilicity with ultrashort time of wetting and superior underwater oleophobicity, applicable on separation for both oil–water mixtures and surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions. The optimally prepared membranes, with 2-hour deposition of catechol, show an extremely high water permeability (over 21000 L m<sup>-2</sup> h<sup>-1</sup> under 0.075 MPa) and outstanding separation efficiency (&gt; 99%). More importantly, the optimum membranes also show excellent operational stability and antifouling property for long term use, making them a promising technology in purifying wastewater. Due to the chemical versatility of catechol, we envision that this novel coating technique holds significant potentials in tailoring the surface properties of various substrates for a wide range of applications.

Oxidant-triggered rapid deposition of plant-derived phenols on PVDF membrane with ultrahigh water permeability for effective oil/water separation

256th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.