Tetradecylamine-MXene functionalized melamine sponge for effective oil/water separation and selective oil adsorption

In recent years, oil spills and industrial organic pollutants have caused irreparable damage to the environment and biological ecosystems. Therefore, the treatment of oily wastewater has become a serious global challenge. Here, we prepared superhydrophobic and superoleophilic tetradecylamine-MXene functionalized melamine sponge for effective oil/water separation and selective oil adsorption using a facile and effective method. It is found that the functionalized sponge can selectively and effectively absorb various oils from oil/water mixtures, which absorption capacity ranges from 60 to 112 times its own mass. Moreover, the water-in-oil emulsion can be efficiently separated by the functionalized sponge, due to its high oil selectivity. Besides, the functionalized sponge shows great mechanical property, chemical stability, and repeatability in various harsh environments, which make it great promising in the treatment of oily wastewater.