High-performance, recyclable and superhydrophobic oil absorbents consisting of cotton with a polydimethylsiloxane shell

This study presents the results related to the preparation and characterization of cotton-based oil absorbents dry-coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that can absorb 30-65 times their weight in oil. PDMS is coated onto these absorbents using chemical vapour deposition without the use of chemicals other than PDMS. The absorbed oils can be separated from the absorbents by centrifugal force indicating that the absorbents are recyclable. The absorbents are also hydrophobic and have a water contact angle exceeding 150°. This hydrophobicity allows perfectly selective removal of oil from an oil/water mixture. We also suggest a funnel structure for effective filtering of oil.