Recent Progress on the Development of Superhydrophobic and Superoleophilic Meshes for Oil and Water Separation: A Review

The serious increase in water pollution has put the sustainability of human and aquatic life at risk. Oil and organic contaminants are major contributors to water pollution. These contaminants are being added by oil spill incidents, industries, and domestic activities. There is an imperative need to develop methods and materials that display excellent capacity to separate the oil and nonpolar organic contaminants from water. Due to the urgent threat of oil pollution in water, extensive current research is focused on the development of superhydrophobic and superoleophilic porous materials for effective separation of oil and water. This chapter specifically discusses the various methods through which the superhydrophobic and superoleophilic meshes can be prepared for oil and water separation. To achieve superhydrophobic and superoleophilic meshes, surface roughness and low surface energy materials play a crucial role. Various methods such as spray coating, surface etching, immersion, dip coating, chemical vapor deposition, hydrothermal methods, solvothermal methods, layer-by-layer assembly, and electrochemical treatment describe modification of meshes for oil and water separation.