Cellulose-derived multifunctional nano-CuO/carbon aerogel composites as a highly efficient oil absorbent

As the most abundant green and renewable resource in nature, cellulose has received the researchers’ attention because of its excellent properties. In this paper, novel renewable cellulose-derived nano-CuO@carbon aerogel composites (CNCAs) were successfully prepared by freeze-drying, carbonization and dipping, which can be used for efficient oil–water separation. The relevant results disclosed that CNCAs exhibited superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 158° ± 2° and outstanding water–oil separation property with separation efficiency of 92.3%. More interestingly, the CNCAs can effectively separate oil from water in surfactant stabilized water-in-oil emulsions with high flux and filtrate purity. The as-prepared CNCAs have durable superhydrophobic and excellent adsorption capacity even after storing in various harsh environments for a long time, such as strong acid and strong alkali etc. Therefore, CNCAs have a good application prospect in the oil–water separation field, providing an effective and feasible solution for the treatment of oily wastewater.