Efficient Oil Spill Uptake Using Surface-Modified Magnetite Nanoparticles with PET Waste Derivatives

This work deals with poly(ethylene terephthalate) waste as a precursor to synthesize new cross-linked poly(ionic liquids) (CLPILs). The newly synthesized CLPILs, VPCT-Cl and VPCT-AA, were used for magnetite nanoparticle surface modification, producing VCL/Fe3O4 and VAA/Fe3O4, respectively. The chemical structures of the CLPILs and surface-modified Fe3O4 were elucidated by Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction. Additionally, the particle size, zeta potential (ζ), contact angle, and magnetic properties of VCL/Fe3O4 and VAA/Fe3O4 were investigated using different techniques. Furthermore, the performance of these nanoparticles for oil spill cleanup was evaluated using various influencing factors, e.g., the contact time and the Fe3O4/crude oil ratio. VCL/Fe3O4 and VAA/Fe3O4 showed excellent performance in oil spill cleanup. The data showed that the performance increased with the contact time and the Fe3O4 ratio. Furthermore, the reusability of VCL/Fe3O4 and VAA/Fe3O4 over four cycles was also explored. The reusability data indicated that reused VCL/Fe3O4 and VAA/Fe3O4 showed promising performance in oil spill cleanup.