Multifunctional Edge-Activated Carbon Nitride Nanosheet-Wrapped Polydimethylsiloxane Sponge Skeleton for Selective Oil Absorption and Photocatalysis
Islam A. Abdelhafeez, Xuefei Zhou, Quifang Yao, Zhenjiang Yu, Yufeng Gong, Jiabin Chen
Abstract
Developing green 3D porous materials integrating multitasking environmental remediation with high efficiency and reusability is considered to be a promising sustainable approach and is urgently required. Herein, we have successfully prepared a facile, ecofriendly, and robust multifunctional composite sponge of carbon nitride (CN) nanosheets wrapping an elastomer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) skeleton without harsh treatments. The composite sponge (CN@PDMS) exhibits excellent hydrophobic and superoleophilic properties with a water contact angle of 133.2°. This sponge also shows high selective absorption of organic solvents and oils with high recyclability after 10 absorption cycles. Furthermore, the CN@PDMS sponge has a high ability for demulsification of the oil-in-water emulsion as well. The as-prepared sponge displays high thermal stability, retaining 82.16% of its original weight up to 550 °C, and extraordinary prolonged stability in harsh corrosive solutions over 35 h compared with the pristine PDMS sponge. Additionally, the CN@PDMS sponge exhibits a high ability for adsorption and photodegradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation with self-cleaning and high reusability over 5 runs. Such a sustainable strategy would provide new ways for broad environmental applications.