Rapidly Degradable and Sustainable Polyhemiaminal Aerogels for Self-Driven Efficient Separation of Oil/Water Mixture

The separation of oil/water mixture by the use of selective absorption materials has been currently studied most wildly. However, the safe disposal of the absorbent waste is challenging. Here, degradable polyhemiaminal (PHA) aerogel was fabricated by one-step precipitation-polymerization. The resulting PHA aerogels showed low density, hydrophobicity, and high specific surface areas. These characteristics, together with the porous structure, imparted it with outstanding properties of oil/water separation. More interestingly, a device made of PHA aerogel can automatically collect gasoline on the water surface without external forces. Furthermore, PHA aerogel exhibited rapid degradation after use, and major raw material for synthesis of PHA aerogels is readily recoverable and further recycles. This work provides simple, environmentally friendly, and sustainable materials for oil/water separation.