Preparation of polysulfone microspheres with a hollow core/porous shell structure and their application for oil spill cleanup

Polysulfone (PSF) microspheres with a hollow core/porous shell structure were prepared by a water‐in‐oil‐in‐water emulsion solvent evaporation method. The morphology of PSF could be controlled by variation of the surfactants, which included oleic acid, poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), and tween 80. The three kinds of prepared microspheres were developed as sorbents for the selective removal of oil from water. PSF microspheres with a hollow core/porous shell structure exhibited the best separation efficiency, which was 44.8 times higher than that of the pristine PSF powder. The oil‐absorbed microspheres combined with unsinkability, appropriate size, and highly hydrophobic and superoleophilic properties could be quickly distributed and collected in seconds and exhibited recyclability. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013