Construction of hydrophobic alginate-based foams induced by zirconium ions for oil and organic solvent cleanup

Hydrophobic modification of sodium alginate (SA) foams via a simple freeze-drying and post cross-linking induced by zirconium (Zr) ions was developed. All results demonstrated that Zr ions not only constructed surface microstructure but also lowered surface energy of foams, leading to the hydrophobic character. Hydrophobic and oleophilic foams showed excellent adsorption capacities for different oils and organic solvents (11.2–25.9 g/g). Furthermore, SA solution can be also coated on porous substrates, such as melamine sponges (MS) and Nylon strainers (NS), to give hydrophobic modification by Zr ion crosslinking. These excellent performances made them a promising for oil adsorption and cleanup.