Advanced Electrospun Nanofibrous Materials for Efficient Oil/Water Separation

The frequent occurrence of crude oil leakage accidents and the massive discharge of industrial oily wastewater not only caused huge damage and pollution to the ecosystem but also wasted a lot of precious resources. Therefore, it is urgent to solve the worldwide problem of oil/water separation. As a leader in advanced fiber materials, nanofibrous materials prepared by electrospinning have the advantages of high permeability, high separation efficiency, large specific surface area, adjustable wettability, simple preparation process, and low cost, making it attracted more attention of researchers in oil/water separation. This article mainly reviews the recent progress of various electrospun nanofibrous materials for oil/water separation field. The preparation and synthesis of nanofibrous adsorbents, nanofibrous membranes, and nanofibrous aerogels in recent years based on different applications, design principles, and separation approaches are systematically summarized. Finally, this review discusses the challenges and future development directions in oil/water separation.