Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Surfaces and Interfaces
Abstract
A sustainable, fluorine-free sol–gel route is reported for fabricating SiO2 nanoparticle (SiO2NPs) superhydrophobic coatings on cotton textiles for oil–water separation. Silica sols were synthesized from tetraethyl orthosilicate under basic catalysis while systematically varying the hydrolysis ratio (R = H2O/TEOS, 0.5–8) and sol aging time (0–96 h); mechanical stirring and ultrasonic agitation were compared to assess their influence on nanoparticle dispersion and coating uniformity. The resulting SiO2NPs exhibited spherical morphology and homogeneous elemental composition, as confirmed by SEM/STEM, EDX, DLS, and FTIR. Wettability depended strongly on R and aging time, with the optimal condition (R = 2, 96 h) yielding a static water contact angle of 167.4 ± 0.5◦ Functional performance was evaluated using a gravimetric oil-uptake test in a biphasic water–olive oil system, achieving oil–water separation efficiencies above 80% for the optimized coatings. These findings demonstrate the potential of fluorine-free SiO2 functionalized cotton textiles as a scalable and environmentally benign platform for remediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated waters.
First Page
109873
DOI
10.1016/j.surfin.2026.109873
Publication Date
6-2026
Language
eng
Rights
open access
Recommended Citation
Castillo Velasquez, S. C., Amaya, J., Rincón, R. J., Galindo-Gonzalez, J. M., Londoño Calderón, C. L., & Llamosa Pérez, D. (2026). Sol–gel surface engineering and modification of SiO₂ nanostructured coatings on cotton for superhydrophobic interfaces and oil–water separation. Surfaces and Interfaces, 95, Article 109873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfin.2026.109873.