Jincui Gu

Janus Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Membranes for Oil/Water Separation

A robust and simple method is provided to fabricate Janus polymer/carbon nanotube (CNT) hybrid membranes for oil/water separation. Starting from CNT membranes formed by dispensing, hydrophobic poly(styrene) (PS) and hydrophilic poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) were grated from different sides of the photoactive CNT membranes via self-initiated photografting and photopolymerization (SIPGP) to achieve Janus polymer/CNTs hybrid membranes. The obtained membranes have excellent oil/water selectivity in the removal of oil from water. Moreover, they can effectively separate both surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions because of the anisotropic wettability of the membranes.

Robust preparation of superhydrophobic polymer/carbon nanotube hybrid membranes for highly effective removal of oils and separation of water-in-oil emulsions

A facile and robust strategy for fabricating superhydrophobic polymer/carbon nanotube hybrid membranes via covalent attachment of hydrophobic polymer, such as polystyrene onto carbon nanotube membrane is proposed. The as-prepared hybrid membranes can selectively remove a wide range of organic solvents from water with high absorption capacity and good recyclability. Moreover, the obtained membrane shows excellent separation properties for surfactant-stabilized water in oil emulsions with separation efficiency as high as 99.94% and high flux (5000 L m−2 h−1 bar−1). Therefore, the superhydrophobic hybrid membranes enable an efficient separation for various oil/water emulsions, showing attractive potential for practical oil/water separation.

Controlled functionalization of carbon nanotubes as superhydrophobic material for adjustable oil/water separation

A robust strategy for fabricating superhydrophobic carbon nanotube (CNT)-based hybrid materials as a separation membrane through the covalent attachment of the fluorine-bearing organosilane 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (PFDTS) onto –OH functionalized CNTs is proposed. This method resulted in PFDTS/CNT superhydrophobic materials with controlled functionalization that could be used to effectively separate various surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsions with high separation efficiency and high flux. It maintains stable superhydrophobicity and high separation efficiency under extreme conditions, including high or low temperature and strongly acidic or alkaline solutions, and shows fire-retardant properties.

Functionalization of Biodegradable PLA Nonwoven Fabric as Superoleophilic and Superhydrophobic Material for Efficient Oil Absorption and Oil/Water Separation

Although the construction of superwettability materials for oil/water separation has been developed rapidly, the postprocess of the used separation materials themselves is still a thorny problem due to their nondegradation in the natural environment. In this work, we reported the functionalization of polylactic acid (PLA) nonwoven fabric as superoleophilic and superhydrophobic material for efficient treatment of oily wastewater with eco-friendly post-treatment due to the well-known biodegradable nature of PLA matrix.

Underwater superoleophobic carbon nanotubes/core–shell polystyrene@Au nanoparticles composite membrane for flow-through catalytic decomposition and oil/water separation

A hierarchical composite membrane, consisting of an underwater superoleophobic carbon nanotube film and core–shell polystyrene@Au nanoparticle-assembled membrane, is fabricated to achieve simultaneous flow-through degradation of water-miscible toxic organic molecules and effective separation of oil/water emulsion. This multifunctional composite membrane allows continuous treatment of polluted oily wastewater, making it a promising candidate for water purification.

Micro-contact printing of graphene oxide nanosheets for fabricating patterned polymer brushes

A robust strategy is developed to fabricate micro-patterned graphene oxide (GO) films on a hydroxylated surface via micro-contact printing induced supramolecular self-assembly. Existing photoactive sites on the surface of GO allow further amplification by growing polymer brushes via self-initiated photografting and photopolymerization (SIPGP).

Au nanoparticle-loaded PDMAEMA brush grafted graphene oxide hybrid systems for thermally smart catalysis

A novel smart catalytic system was successfully constructed by using poly[(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) brush grafted graphene oxide (GO) to load gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The catalytic activity of the Au NPs was finely tuned by temperature, which can control the inclusion and ‘exposure’ of Au NPs inside the PDMAEMA brushes via the phase transition of the grafted PDMAEMA chain triggered by a temperature above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PDMAEMA.

Polymer brush functionalized Janus graphene oxide/chitosan hybrid membranes

A robust and simple method is reported to prepare polymer brush functionalized Janus graphene oxide (GO)/chitosan hybrid membranes via the combination of interface self-assembly of GO and chitosan, with subsequent self-initiated photografting and photopolymerization (SIPGP) from both sides of the GO/chitosan composite membrane.

Integration of a patterned conductive carbon nanotube thin film with an insulating hydrophobic polymer carpet into robust 2D Janus hybrid flexible electronics

Despite CNTs based flexible electronics showing promising applications in numerous fields, they are still weak against harsh environments. Herein, we present our recent advancement in the integration of patterned conductive CNTs thin films with an insulating hydrophobic polymer carpet into 2D Janus hybrid thin films for robust flexible electronics. Due to the introduction of the hydrophobic polymer as the water proof layer, our strategy could be considered as a new electronic packaging technique to protect conductive 2D CNTs thin films at a molecular level. The obtained polymer carpet grafted 2D CNTs thin films have potential application as flexible, transparent electronics with highly robust environmental stability.

Controlled evaporative self-assembly of Fe3O4 nanoparticles assisted by an external magnetic field

High fidelity and regularity structures of nanoscale materials has opened up new opportunities for developing miniaturized devices. A simple yet robust approach of magnetic field assisted controlled evaporative self-assembly (CESA) is developed to achieve Fe3O4 nanoparticle (NP) micro- and nano-patterns in a two dimensional (2D) direction. In the magnetic field assisted CESA process, the self-assembly morphology can be well controlled by varying extrinsic and intrinsic variables such as temperature, external magnetic field, and concentration of Fe3O4 NPs. Under the optimized magnetic field rotation frequency and temperature, 2D self-assembly of Fe3O4 NPs can be well realized. In addition, as photoactive sites, double bonds on the surface of Fe3O4 NPs allow the growth of polymer brushes by self-initiated photografting and photopolymerization (SIPGP), and the further achievement of free-standing magnetic composite films with well-defined patterns.