Durable superhydrophobic glass wool@polydopamine@PDMS for highly efficient oil/water separation.

The application of superhydrophobic materials for oil/water separation is receiving increasing attention. Meanwhile, durable superhydrophobic/superoleophilic materials and simple preparation methods are highly desired. Here, inspired by nature, we report a simple method for preparation of durable superhydrophobic glass wool (GW) for highly efficient oil/water separation. The durable and low-cost GW was converted to superhydrophobic simply by polymerization of dopamine followed by chemical vapor deposition of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The polymerization of dopamine generated a lot of polydopamine nanoparticles on the surface of GW microfibers, forming hierachical micro-/nanostructures. The chemical vapor deposition of PDMS efficiently reduced the surface energy. The combination of the hierachical micro-/nanostructure and the PDMS layer successfully made the GW superhydrophobic with a water contact angle of ∼156° and water drops could easily roll off. In addition, the superhydrophobic GW showed high chemical stability in corrosive solutions and oils and high thermal stability. Moreover, the superhydrophobic GW showed high efficiency in selective oil absorption and oil/water separation as well as high recyclability. We believe that the superhydrophobic GW may find application in practical oil/water separation because of its good performance in oil/water separation and high stability under diverse harsh conditions.