High-Throughput Electrospinning System| Lightweight, robust, and antimicrobialcellulose nanofibril aerogels decorated withTiO,@PDA core-shell nanoparticles forhighly efficient oil-water separation

Guangxi University Mo Liuting Team: TiO2@PDA Core-Shell Nanoparticle-Decorated Lightweight, Robust, and Antimicrobial Cellulose Nanofibril Aerogels for Highly Efficient Oil-Water Separation

Oil spills, industrial wastewater containing organic solvents, and daily oily wastewater pose severe threats to ecosystems and human life, making oil-water separation materials urgently needed. Cellulose nanofibril (CNF) aerogels, with their lightweight, high porosity, and excellent adsorption capacity, are effective for oil/organic pollutant removal. However, CNF aerogels face structural instability and poor environmental adaptability, including hydrophilicity and fungal susceptibility. Thus, developing CNF composite aerogels with high strength and antimicrobial properties is critical.

Recently, Guangxi University’s Mo Liuting team published research in Chemical Engineering Journal titled *"Lightweight, robust, and antimicrobial cellulose nanofibril aerogels decorated with TiO2@PDA core-shell nanoparticles for highly efficient oil-water separation."* The study prepared CNF composite aerogels via core-shell nanoparticle decoration and vacuum impregnation, achieving exceptional antimicrobial/hydrophobic performance for harsh-environment oil-water separation. A sustainable oil collection device was designed, offering a simple and reliable solution.

Figure 1: Preparation of OTMS/TiO2@PDA/CNF composite aerogels.

The aerogels exhibited outstanding adsorption (59.9 g/g for oils/organic solvents) and 96.15% separation efficiency under gravity.

Figure 2: Adsorption and separation performance.

Antimicrobial tests showed TiO2@PDA achieved 98.73% and 99.14% bactericidal rates against S. aureus and E. coli after 120 min under light, outperforming TiO2 alone (97.86% and 94.81% at 180 min).

Figure 3d: OTMS/TiO2@PDA/CNF aerogels killed co-cultured bacteria, confirming superior antimicrobial properties.

An oil-collection device was designed for sustainable oil-water separation, which achieved rapid and continuous pumping of oily liquids through the composite aerogel filter at a flux rate of 23.8095 L·h⁻¹·g⁻¹ under vacuum conditions, accomplishing dynamic oil-water separation. This design not only facilitates efficient oil-water separation and collection but also simplifies the traditionally complex and time-consuming oil recovery process, offering a practical solution for developing portable oil-water separation equipment.

Figure 4: A vacuum-driven oil collection device achieved continuous separation (23.8095 L·h−1·g−1 flux), simplifying oil recovery and enabling portable designs.

The authors developed a novel nanocellulose composite aerogel through core-shell nanoparticle modification and vacuum impregnation techniques, endowing the material with exceptional antibacterial properties and hydrophobicity for highly efficient oil-water separation under harsh environmental conditions.