Underliquid Superlyophobic Copper-Coated Meshes for the Separation of Immiscible Organic Liquid Mixtures

Abstract

Superwettable materials have been studied extensively and successfully applied in various forms liquid separation. However, because of low surface tension differences, organic liquids (OLs) exhibit approximate wettability on most of the material surfaces, and the separation of OL mixtures remains a challenge. The current separation method for OL mixtures is mainly dependent on covalent modification to precisely control the surface energy of the membranes, which is extremely complicated. Herein, we demonstrate a novel concept of underliquid super-lyophobicity for the separation of immiscible OLs mixtures, which only depend on a relatively stable liquid-repellent interface. Furthermore, the minimum system's free-energy principle was used to explain this wetting behavior. Different from the previous reports, the method of separation of OL mixtures does not involve various low-surface-energy materials, thus it is facile and eco-friendly. Our research provides a general strategy for the efficient separation of immiscible OLs mixtures and is expected to promote the development of superwettable materials for multiphase liquid separation.