Synthesis of a Novel Highly Oleophilic and Highly Hydrophobic Sponge for Rapid Oil Spill Cleanup

A highly hydrophobic and highly oleophilic
sponge was synthesized
by simple vapor-phase deposition followed by polymerization of polypyrrole
followed by modification with palmitic acid. The prepared sponge shows
high absorption capacity in the field of separation and removal of
different oil spills from water surface and was able to emulsify oil/water
mixtures. The sponge can be compressed repeatedly without collapsing.
Therefore, absorbed oils can be readily collected by simple mechanical
squeezing of the sponge. The prepared hydrophobic sponge can collect
oil from water in both static and turbulent conditions. The proposed
method is simple and low cost for the manufacture of highly oleophilic
and highly hydrophobic sponges, which can be successfully used for
effective oil-spill cleanup and water filtration.