Biomass chitosan-based complexes with superwettability for oil-water separation

The pollution of oily wastewater and the frequent occurrence of oil spills seriously affect human economy, safety, and environment. So far, researchers have developed a series of strategies and materials to solve the oil pollution, but the development of green, efficient, sustainably separated, environmentally stable, and low-cost materials for oil-water separation remains a challenge. Biomass materials such as chitosan, gelatin, cellulose, alginate, and lignin have been widely used in the preparation of oil-water separation materials for environmental remediation due to their wide sources, environmental friendliness, and abundant active functional groups. Herein, this paper mainly reviews the recent research progress of chitosan-based oil-water separation materials. Firstly, the research background and wettability theory are introduced in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, and then the design ideas, preparation methods, modified materials, separation principles and oil-water separation properties of two-dimensional chitosan-based membranes, including chitosan hydrogel membranes, and three-dimensional chitosan-based aerogels are highlighted in the subsequent chapters.