Block copolymer brushes modified cotton fabric for antifouling oil-water separation materials with thermal responsiveness

Polymer brushes have proven to have great potential in oil-water separation but it remains a long-standing challenge to improve their operational stability and service endurance. In this work, we sequentially grafted polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) brushes on the cotton fabric to prepare a durable and self-reparing oil-water separation film (Co@PDMS/PNIPAM). The grafting of liquid PDMS brushes significantly improved the antifouling performance through its lubricating effect thereby improving the durability. The hydrophilic and thermoresponsive PNIPAM was synthesized through a surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ARGET ATRP). Co@PDMS/PNIPAM shows high flux in various oily water and bio-solution. More remarkably, Co@PDMS/PNIPAM exhibited intelligent self-repairing characteristics, and this further enhances its stability and service endurance in the application of oil-water separation. The results provide pathways to the preparation of antifouling and durable membranes in the application of water treatment, and resource recovery. [Display omitted] •Preparation of antifouling and self-repairing cotton fabric with block polymer brush of PDMS/PNIPAM.•Lower PDMS brush enhances the anti-fouling property through its high chain flexibility and low surface energy.•Upper PNIPAM brush improves the wettability and provides a thermal responsiveness.•Co@PDMS/PNIPAMT is a functional and durable oil-water separation membrane, which is applicable in various oily water.