Green Method for Fabrication of an Underwater Superoleophobic Phosphor-Copper Mesh and Transportation of Oily Liquids

Sea cucumber-shaped Cu2O nanostructures are constructed on a phosphor-copper mesh by employing a one-step immersion process accomplished in distilled water without introducing any additional reagent. The phosphor-copper mesh with a Cu2O structure thereon exhibits significant hydrophilicity and induces a large superoleophobic force at the oil/water interface. The method used for preparing the Cu2O nanostructures represents an inexpensive, fast, and environmentally friendly approach, along with satisfying the requirements of large-scale preparation. It is found that the pickling degree of the phosphor-copper mesh during surface cleaning plays a major role in the oxidation process of the surface for the growth of Cu2O nanostructures. Nanostructures with different morphologies can be achieved by accurately controlling the surface pickling degree. Interestingly, an underwater superoleophobic “pipe” developed using the as-prepared phosphor-copper mesh can realize gravity (buoyancy)-driven oily liquid transport in an aqueous environment, with no associated contamination by the oil. This study provides a simple method to realize surface-functionalization and demonstrates a new route for achieving liquid transportation without external energy and would help to design smart aquatic devices for diverse liquid transport thereby, enabling oil handling and oil spill cleanup.