Pseudo-zwitterions self-assembled from polycation and anion clusters showing exceptional water-cleanable anti-crude-oil-adhesion property

• Main Authors: Yuzhang Zhu, Hongzhen Lin, Wangxi Fang, Aqiang Wang, Jichao Sun, Shiling Yuan, Jingye Li, Jian Jin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-09-01
• Series: iScience
• Subjects: Materials science; Materials chemistry; Materials synthesis; Materials property
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004221009329

Summary: It is of great importance and practical value to develop a facile and operable surface treatment method of materials with excellent antipollution and antiadhesion property, but still a huge challenge. In this work, a series of pseudo-zwitterions are prepared from electrostatic assembly of cationic polyethyleneimine and anionic phosphonic clusters. These pseudo-zwitterionic assemblies provide a strong hydration through electrostatic interaction with water and in turn create a barrier against oil foulants, leading to a nearly zero crude oil adhesion force. The pseudo-zwitterions-decorated surfaces exhibit exceptional water-cleanable oil-repellent property, even when they are completely dried and without prehydration before fouled by crude oil. While using these pseudo-zwitterions-modified polymeric membranes for separating surfactant stabilized oil-in-water emulsion, less than 10% decline of permeating flux is observed throughout a 2-h continuous separation experiment, showing excellent emulsion separation ability and antipollution performance for high viscous oil.