Whole-Waste synthesis of Kilogram-Scale Macropores adsorbent materials for Wide-Range oil and heavy metal removal

(a) POP-WCO was prepared from sulfur and waste cooking oil; (b) Mechanism of oil adsorption by POP-WCO; (c) Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) images of POP-WCO and POP-WCO-Hg. [Display omitted] •Material POP-WCO synthesized from waste and prepared in kilogram quantities.•POP-WCO is super lipophilic and has excellent hydrophobicity.•POP-WCO can quickly adsorb crude oil and can be effectively recovered, providing an effective way to manage crude oil spills.•The active sites and the mechanism of adsorption on the POP-WCO are unraveled by theoretical and experimental analysis.•Effective adsorption of Hg (II) and eight common oils. The rapid pace of social development leads to the generation of significant quantities of oily wastewater and heavy metal ions, posing severe threats to the environment and human health. Therefore, finding cost-effective and efficient adsorbent materials is crucial. In the present study, a porous organic polymer based on waste cooking oil was synthesized as a macropores material called POP-WCO, allowing for preparation in kilogram quantities (more than one kilogram in a single batch). This material effectively removes oil and heavy metals, exhibiting excellent hydrophobic and superoleophilic properties, enabling the adsorption of various common oils within 22 s. POP-WCO is designed to swiftly remove and recover eight common oils through simple mechanical extrusion, maintaining a consistent oil recovery efficiency of 94% after 10 cycles. It can effectively treat and recover oil spills at sea through static and continuous adsorption. In addition, the POP-WCO material removes over 99% of the heavy metal mercury, showing exceptional resistance to acid, alkali, and salt, as well as economic value. The mechanism of Hg(II) adsorption by POP-WCO has been confirmed through density functional theory (DFT) calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, elucidating the microdynamics process of the adsorption mechanism. This research presents an important strategy for achieving resource sustainability by transforming waste into valuable materials.