Hydrogel Coated Mesh with Controlled Flux for Oil/Water Separation

Superwetting surfaces are often applied in oil/water separation. Hydrogels have been widely prepared as superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic materials for oil/water separation since they are naturally hydrophilic. Hydrogels usually need to be combined with porous substrates such as stainless steel mesh (SSM) due to their poor mechanical properties. However, it is usually inevitable that the pores of the substrate are clogged during the actual preparation process, leading to a significant decrease in the flux, which limits its effective application. In this study, acrylic acid (AA), chitosan (CS) and modified silica were utilized to form a layer of dual-network PAA/CS@SiO