Sustainable superhydrophobic and superoleophilic jute for oil-spill clean-up in aquatic system.

This study addresses oil remediation using a superhydrophobic jute fabric developed via a simple immersion technique with a composite silane solution of methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS). The coated fabric exhibits a wet contact angle (WCA) of 164 ± 2°, demonstrating exceptional water repellency, while maintaining superoleophilicity for rapid oil absorption. The synergistic effect of composite silane enhances coating durability. The fabric achieves high separation efficiency up to 99.9 % for different oils and organic solvents and reusability up to 50 cycles in different aqueous medium. The effective separation of oil from water under different pH conditions and simulated oil spills suggests that the coated fabric possesses sturdy mechanical durability and chemical resilience. Furthermore, the fabric's biodegradability ensures environmental sustainability, with controlled degradation compared to raw jute. On the other hand, the natural jute substrate offers a cost-effective and scalable solution. These properties make the developed fabric a significant potential for marine oil spill remediation and industrial wastewater treatment in extreme environments.