Efficient Oil Spill Uptake Using Surface-Modified Magnetite Nanoparticles with PET Waste Derivatives.

This work deals with poly(ethylene terephthalate) waste as a precursor to synthesize new cross-linked poly(ionic liquids) (CLPILs). The newly synthesized CLPILs, VPCT-Cl and VPCT-AA, were used for magnetite nanoparticle surface modification, producing VCL/FeO and VAA/FeO, respectively. The chemical structures of the CLPILs and surface-modified FeO were elucidated by Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction. Additionally, the particle size, zeta potential (ζ), contact angle, and magnetic properties of VCL/FeO and VAA/FeO were investigated using different techniques. Furthermore, the performance of these nanoparticles for oil spill cleanup was evaluated using various influencing factors, e.g., the contact time and the FeO/crude oil ratio. VCL/FeO and VAA/FeO showed excellent performance in oil spill cleanup. The data showed that the performance increased with the contact time and the FeO ratio. Furthermore, the reusability of VCL/FeO and VAA/FeO over four cycles was also explored. The reusability data indicated that reused VCL/FeO and VAA/FeO showed promising performance in oil spill cleanup.