Polímeros: Ciência e Tecnologia
https://www.revistapolimeros.org.br/article/doi/10.1590/0104-1428.20250105
Polímeros: Ciência e Tecnologia
Original Article

Green fabrication of superhydrophobic poly(furfuryl alcohol)-coated melamine sponge

Thi Nhat Thang Nguyen; Huu Trung Nguyen; Thao Quynh Ngan Tran; Xuan Thang Cao

Downloads: 0
Views: 3

Abstract

The increasing frequency of organic solvent pollution has raised urgent demands for efficient, sustainable, and recyclable materials for solvent-water separation. In this study, we report a green, facile strategy to fabricate a superhydrophobic melamine sponge (MS) modified with poly(furfuryl alcohol) (PFA) using a zinc-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) system. The DES, composed of choline chloride and ZnCl2, served dually as both the polymerization medium and catalytic agent for the in-situ polymerization of furfuryl alcohol on the MS skeleton. The resulting PFA-coated MS (PFA/MS) retained its intrinsic porous 3D network while acquiring significantly enhanced surface roughness and hydrophobicity. Water contact angle measurements confirmed superhydrophobicity (167.6°), and the sponge exhibited high selectivity and sorption capacity toward a wide range of organic solvents. This environmentally benign, scalable approach offers a promising platform for the development of reusable sorbents in oil spill cleanup and industrial wastewater treatment.

 

 

Keywords

deep eutectic solvent, green synthesis, poly(furfuryl alcohol), solvent-water separation, superhydrophobic sponge

References

1 Pereira, L. C., Souza, A. O., Bernardes, M. F. F., Pazin, M., Tasso, M. J., Pereira, P. H., & Dorta, D. J. (2015). A perspective on the potential risks of emerging contaminants to human and environmental health. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 22(18), 13800-13823. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4896-6. PMid:26201652.

2 Jan, S., Mishra, A. K., Bhat, M. A., Bhat, M. A., & Jan, A. T. (2023). Pollutants in aquatic systems: a frontier perspective of emerging threat and strategies to solve the crisis for safe drinking water. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 30(53), 113242-113279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-30302-4. PMid:37864686.

3 Duarte, H., Aliaño-González, M. J., Romano, A., & Medronho, B. (2024). Advancements in detection and mitigation strategies for petroleum-derived contaminants in aquatic environments: a comprehensive review. Sensors (Basel), 24(11), 3284. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24113284. PMid:38894076.

4 Du, Y., Xu, X., Liu, Q., Bai, L., Hang, K., & Wang, D. (2022). Identification of organic pollutants with potential ecological and health risks in aquatic environments: progress and challenges. The Science of the Total Environment, 806(Part 3), 150691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150691. PMid:34600995.

5 Tian, Y., Zhou, J., He, C., He, L., Li, X., & Sui, H. (2022). The formation, stabilization and separation of oil–water emulsions: A review. Processes (Basel, Switzerland), 10(4), 738. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10040738.

6 Gohil, J. M., Kwon, G., Bhunia, P., Dutta, K., & Boukherroub, R. (2022). Overview on oil/water separation techniques and working principles. In R. Boukherroub, K. Dutta & J. Gohil (Eds.), Oil–water mixtures and emulsions: membrane materials for separation and treatment (Vol. 1, pp. 247-304). Washington, DC: American Chemical Society. https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-2022-1407.ch007

7 Rubio, J., Souza, M. L., & Smith, R. W. (2002). Overview of flotation as a wastewater treatment technique. Minerals Engineering, 15(3), 139-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0892-6875(01)00216-3.

8 Liu, B., Chen, B., Ling, J., Matchinski, E. J., Dong, G., Ye, X., Wu, F., Shen, W., Liu, L., Lee, K., Isaacman, L., Potter, S., Hynes, B., & Zhang, B. (2022). Development of advanced oil/water separation technologies to enhance the effectiveness of mechanical oil recovery operations at sea: potential and challenges. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 437, 129340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129340. PMid:35728323.

9 Li, B., Qi, B., Guo, Z., Wang, D., & Jiao, T. (2023). Recent developments in the application of membrane separation technology and its challenges in oil–water separation: A review. Chemosphere, 327, 138528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138528. PMid:36990363.

10 Ma, Q., Cheng, H., Fane, A. G., Wang, R., & Zhang, H. (2016). Recent development of advanced materials with special wettability for selective oil/water separation. Small, 12(16), 2186-2202. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.201503685. PMid:27000640.

11 Odoom, J., Iorhemen, O. T., & Li, J. (2025). Advances in adsorption for oily wastewater treatment: eco-friendly adsorbents and analytical insights. Energy, Ecology & Environment, 10(1), 15-44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40974-024-00332-w.

12 Wang, Z., Ma, H., Chu, B., & Hsiao, B. S. (2017). Super-hydrophobic modification of porous natural polymer “luffa sponge” for oil absorption. Polymer, 126, 470-476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2017.05.068.

13 Koroleva, M. Y., Shirokikh, S. A., Khasanova, L. K., Babusenko, E. S., & Yurtov, E. V. (2019). Highly porous polymeric sponges for oil sorption. Mendeleev Communications, 29(2), 176-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mencom.2019.03.020.

14 Gupta, S., & Tai, N.-H. (2016). Carbon materials as oil sorbents: A review on the synthesis and performance. Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 4(5), 1550-1565. https://doi.org/10.1039/C5TA08321D.

15 Fouladi, M., Heidari, M. K., & Tavakoli, O. (2023). Development of porous biodegradable sorbents for oil/water separation: A critical review. Journal of Porous Materials, 30(3), 1037-1053. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10934-022-01385-0.

16 Shi, Y., Liu, G., Jin, R., Xu, H., Wang, Q., & Gao, S. (2019). Carbon materials from melamine sponges for supercapacitors and lithium battery electrode materials: A review. Carbon Energy, 1(2), 253-275. https://doi.org/10.1002/cey2.19.

17 Feng, Y., & Yao, J. (2018). Design of melamine sponge-based three-dimensional porous materials toward applications. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 57(22), 7322-7330. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.8b01232.

18 He, L., Qi, X., He, J., Li, C., Wei, W., Zhang, X., & Gao, Z. (2024). Research progress in hydrophobic modification of melamine sponge and its application in oil–water separation field. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 12(3), 112536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2024.112536.

19 Zhou, X., Li, D., Wang, L., Wang, Q., Wang, Z., Jing, Q., Marisol, R., & Li, L. (2025). Recent advances in the modification of melamine sponge for oil–water separation. Journal of Materials Science and Technology, 207, 209-224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmst.2024.04.013.

20 Dong, H., Zhan, Y., Sun, A., Chen, Y., & Chen, X. (2023). Magnetically responsive and durable super-hydrophobic melamine sponge material. Colloids and Surfaces. A, Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 662, 130933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2023.130933.

21 Hojatjalali, M., Bahraminia, S., & Anbia, M. (2025). Superhydrophobic magnetic melamine sponge modified by flowerlike ZnO and stearic acid using dip coating method for oil and water separation. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 7378. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92246-8. PMid:40025248.

22 Zhang, T., Han, L., Yang, G., Schubert, D. W., & Duan, C. (2025). Optimizing melamine sponges modified with titanium dioxide nanoparticles for environmental and industrial applications. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 142(13), e56661. https://doi.org/10.1002/app.56661.

23 Stolz, A., Le Floch, S., Reinert, L., Ramos, S. M. M., Tuaillon-Combes, J., Soneda, Y., Chaudet, P., Baillis, D., Blanchard, N., Duclaux, L., & San-Miguel, A. (2016). Melamine-derived carbon sponges for oil–water separation. Carbon, 107, 198-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2016.05.059.

24 Lei, Z., Zhang, G., Deng, Y., & Wang, C. (2017). Thermoresponsive melamine sponges with switchable wettability by interface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization for oil/water separation. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 9(10), 8967-8974. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6b14565. PMid:28229584.

25 Sun, Y., Wang, W.-R., Li, D.-Y., Xu, S.-Y., Lin, L., Lu, M.-L., Fan, K., Xing, C.-Y., Li, L.-F., & Li, J.-H. (2024). Superhydrophobic melamine sponge prepared by radiation-induced grafting technology for efficient oil–water separation. Nuclear Science and Techniques, 35(9), 147. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41365-024-01507-0.

26 Pham, V. H., & Dickerson, J. H. (2014). Superhydrophobic silanized melamine sponges as high-efficiency oil absorbent materials. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 6(16), 14181-14188. https://doi.org/10.1021/am503503m. PMid:25039789.

27 He, Z., Wang, M., & Ma, S. (2024). Porous lignin-based composites for oil/water separation: A review. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 260(Pt 2), 129569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129569. PMid:38253151.

28 Qiao, L., Zhou, Z., Wang, M., & He, Z. (2025). Lignin Microsphere/TiO2 Composite-Based Melamine Sponge with Superhydrophobic and Photothermal Properties for Oil/Water Separation and Anti-Icing. Langmuir : The ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids, 41(21), 13233-13248. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c00913. PMid:40397029.

29 Wang, M., Qiao, L., Ma, S., & He, Z. (2024). Facile Preparation of photothermal superhydrophobic melamine sponge decorated with Mxene and Lignin Particles for efficient oil/water separation, fast crude oil recovery, and active deicing. Langmuir : The ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids, 40(11), 5978-5991. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c04006. PMid:38443344.

30 Peng, M., Zhu, Y., Li, H., He, K., Zeng, G., Chen, A., Huang, Z., Huang, T., Yuan, L., & Chen, G. (2019). Synthesis and application of modified commercial sponges for oil–water separation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 373, 213-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2019.05.013.

31 Farrokhi, S. J., Pakzad, H., Fakhri, M., & Moosavi, A. (2021). Superhydrophobic home-made polyurethane sponges for versatile and cost-effective oil and water separation. Separation and Purification Technology, 276, 119240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2021.119240.

32 Sam, E. K., Liu, J., & Lv, X. (2021). Surface engineering materials of superhydrophobic sponges for oil/water separation: A review. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 60(6), 2353-2364. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.0c05906.

33 Hessel, V., Tran, N. N., Razi Asrami, M., Tran, Q. D., Long, N. V. D., Escribà-Gelonch, M., Osorio Tejada, J., Linke, S., & Sundmacher, K. (2022). Sustainability of green solvents: review and perspective. Green Chemistry, 24(2), 410-437. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1GC03662A.

34 Liu, J., Li, X., & Row, K. H. (2022). Development of deep eutectic solvents for sustainable chemistry. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 362, 119654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119654.

35 Mushtaq, M., Butt, F. W., Akram, S., Ashraf, R., & Ahmed, D. (2024). Deep eutectic liquids as tailorable extraction solvents: a review of opportunities and challenges. Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry, 54(6), 1634-1660. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408347.2022.2125284. PMid:36148704.

36 Prabhune, A., & Dey, R. (2023). Green and sustainable solvents of the future: deep eutectic solvents. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 379, 121676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121676.

37 Abo-Hamad, A., Hayyan, M., AlSaadi, M. A., & Hashim, M. A. (2015). Potential applications of deep eutectic solvents in nanotechnology. Chemical Engineering Journal, 273, 551-567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2015.03.091.

38 Khandelwal, S., Tailor, Y. K., & Kumar, M. (2016). Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) as eco-friendly and sustainable solvent/catalyst systems in organic transformations. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 215, 345-386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2015.12.015.

39 Liu, P., Hao, J.-W., Mo, L.-P., & Zhang, Z.-H. (2015). Recent advances in the application of deep eutectic solvents as sustainable media as well as catalysts in organic reactions. RSC Advances, 5(60), 48675-48704. https://doi.org/10.1039/C5RA05746A.

40 Gutiérrez, M. C., Carriazo, D., Ania, C. O., Parra, J. B., Ferrer, M. L., & del Monte, F. (2011). Deep eutectic solvents as both precursors and structure directing agents in the synthesis of nitrogen-doped hierarchical carbons highly suitable for CO2 capture. Energy & Environmental Science, 4(9), 3535-3544. https://doi.org/10.1039/c1ee01463c.

41 Cao, T. P., Hang, C. N., Vu-Quang, H., Kabtamu, D. M., Kumar, S., Nguyen, V. C., & Cao, X. T. (2022). Catalyst-free synthesis of poly(furfuryl alcohol) using deep eutectic solvents. New Journal of Chemistry = Nouveau Journal de Chimie, 46(8), 3786-3793. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1NJ05723E.

42 Tan, W. X., Chiang, P.-J., Tan, L. P., Ramanujan, R. V., Tan, M. J., Ong, A., Jangam, J. S. D., & Lai, C. Q. (2024). Adhesive and alloying properties of dual purpose polyfurfuryl alcohol binder for binder jet additive manufacturing of steel. Additive Manufacturing, 86, 104212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2024.104212.

43 Acosta, A. P., Amico, S. C., Delucis, R. A., Missio, A. L., Rodrigues, M. B. B., Ribeiro, A. C. R., Goularte, M. P., & Gatto, D. A. (2024). Surface analysis of different wood polymer composites exposed to artificial weathering. Journal of Wood Chemistry and Technology, 44(2), 88-101. https://doi.org/10.1080/02773813.2023.2299814.
 

6abe58bea9539520551face3 polimeros Articles
Links & Downloads

Polímeros: Ciência e Tecnologia

Share this page
Page Sections