Superhydrophobic nanoporous polymer-modified sponge for in situ oil/water separation.

Developing an efficient and environmentally friendly strategy for oil-water separation is extremely important for practical application. In this study, a superhydrophobic and superoleophilic melamine sponge loaded with cross-linked and swellable polydivinylbenzene was successfully fabricated by a facile and effective one-step impregnation-curing method with adhesion of polydimethylsiloxane. The prepared sponge not only exhibited high oil absorption capacity, but it also enabled rapid oil collection in situ, which could be extended to practical application.