Bionic Aerogel with a Lotus Leaf-like Structure for Efficient Oil-Water Separation and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Fengqi Liu; Yonggang Jiang; Junzong Feng; Liangjun Li; Jian Feng

doi:10.3390/gels9030214

Gels (Mar 2023)

Bionic Aerogel with a Lotus Leaf-like Structure for Efficient Oil-Water Separation and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Fengqi Liu,
Yonggang Jiang,
Junzong Feng,
Liangjun Li,
Jian Feng

Affiliations

Fengqi Liu: Science and Technology on Advanced Ceramic Fibers and Composites Laboratory, College of Aerospace Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
Yonggang Jiang: Science and Technology on Advanced Ceramic Fibers and Composites Laboratory, College of Aerospace Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
Junzong Feng: Science and Technology on Advanced Ceramic Fibers and Composites Laboratory, College of Aerospace Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
Liangjun Li: Science and Technology on Advanced Ceramic Fibers and Composites Laboratory, College of Aerospace Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
Jian Feng: Science and Technology on Advanced Ceramic Fibers and Composites Laboratory, College of Aerospace Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9030214
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9, no. 3
p. 214

Abstract

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Increasing pollution from industrial wastewater containing oils or organic solvents poses a serious threat to both the environment and human health. Compared to complex chemical modifications, bionic aerogels with intrinsic hydrophobic properties exhibit better durability and are considered as ideal adsorbents for oil-water separation. However, the construction of biomimetic three-dimensional (3D) structures by simple methods is still a great challenge. Here, we prepared biomimetic superhydrophobic aerogels with lotus leaf-like structures by growing carbon coatings on Al2O3 nanorod-carbon nanotube hybrid backbones. Thanks to its multicomponent synergy and unique structure, this fascinating aerogel can be directly obtained through a simple conventional sol-gel and carbonization process. The aerogels exhibit excellent oil-water separation (22 g·g−1), recyclability (over 10 cycles) and dye adsorption properties (186.2 mg·g−1 for methylene blue). In addition, benefiting from the conductive porous structure, the aerogels also demonstrate outstanding electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capabilities (~40 dB in X-band). This work presents fresh insights for the preparation of multifunctional biomimetic aerogels.

Published in Gels

ISSN: 2310-2861 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry: Inorganic chemistry; Science: Chemistry: General. Including alchemy
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/gels

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