Self-Cleaning Nanoscale Coating for the Separation of Oil–Water Mixture

The current study pertains to the self-cleaning nanoscale coating of graphene/polymer nanohybrid system for the separation of oil–water mixture. Using a single nanohybrid system, we have developed a two-stage process for the selective removal of the hydrocarbons. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and separation efficiency are determined by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Analysis of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the two stage samples is carried out by using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The analysis shows the reduction in TPHs from 290 ppm to less than 1 ppm and more than 99.5% separation efficiency (oil removal from oil–water mixture) is achieved. No polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected in the treated water.