Ultrahigh throughput and efficient separation of oil/water mixtures using superhydrophilic multi-scale CuBTC-coated meshes

Abstract High-flux and oil-resistant mesh for oil/water separation is substantially needed due to frequent oil spill accidents. However, the acquirement of high-flux meshes without sacrificing intrusion pressure is a challenge. Here, a multi-scale CuBTC-coated copper mesh was prepared via a novel stepwise liquid-phase epitaxial (LPE) procedure and secondary growth. On the basis of the uniform CuBTC seed layer on the surface of copper mesh via the LPE method, the micro-scale CuBTC coating was obtained by secondary growth. The nanosized CuBTC humps were further fabricated on the surface of micro-scale CuBTC crystals to form the multi-scale structure. The as-prepared multi-scale CuBTC-coated mesh possessed superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity. The stabilities and anti-fouling behavior of the as-prepared CuBTC-coated mesh were investigated. In addition to high oil/water separation efficiency (over 99%), the multi-scale CuBTC-coated mesh exhibited an ultrahigh permeation flux (148.3 L·m−2·s−1) with a satisfactory oil intrusion pressure (2.2 kPa), demonstrating its application potential for quick oil-spill cleanup.