Most factories discharge untreated wastewater to reduce costs, causing serious environmental problems. Low-cost, biological, environmentally friendly and highly effective materials for the separation of emulsified oil/water mixtures are thus in great demand. In this study, a simple, green method was developed for separating oil-in-water emulsions. A corn straw powder (CSP)-nylon 6,6 membrane (CSPNM) was fabricated by a phase inversion process without any further chemical modification. The CSPNM showed superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic properties and could be used for the separation of oil-in-water emulsion with high separation efficiency and flux. The CSPNM maintained excellent separation ability after 20 cycles of separation with an oil rejection >99.60%, and the oil rejection and flux have no obvious change with an increasing number of cycles, suggesting a good antifouling property and the structural stability of CSPNM. In addition, the CSPNM exhibited excellent thermal and chemical stability under harsh conditions of high temperature and varying pH.

The removal of oil from waste water is gaining increasing attention. In this study, a novel synthesis method of green superhydrophobic/superoleophilic wood flour is proposed using the deposition of nano–zinc oxide (nZnO) aggregated on the fiber surface and the subsequent hydrophobic modification of octadecanoic acid. The as-prepared wood flour displayed great superhydrophobicity and synchronous superoleophilicity properties with the water contact angle (WCA) of 156° and oil contact angle (OCA) of 0° for diesel oil. Furthermore, the as-prepared wood flour possessed an excellent stability, probably due to the strong adhesion of nZnO, which aggregates to the fiber surface of wood flour with the action of glutinous polystyrene. The maximum adsorption capacity of as-prepared wood flour was 20.81 g/g for engine oil, which showed that the as-prepared wood flour is a potential candidate as an efficient oil adsorbent in the field of water-oil separation. Moreover, it has good chemical steadiness and environmental durability. Taken together, all the information acquired from this research could be valuable in evaluating the potential of as-prepared wood flour as a competitive and sustainable oil-water separation material.

The persistent challenge of removing viscous oil on water surfaces continues to pose a major concern and requires immediate attention. Here, a novel solution has been introduced in the form of a superhydrophobic/superoleophilic PDMS/SiO₂ aerogel fabric gathering device (SFGD). The SFGD is based on the adhesive and kinematic viscosity properties of oil, enabling self-driven collection of floating oil on the water surface. The SFGD is able to spontaneously capture the floating oil, selectively filter it, and sustainably collect it into its porous fabric interior through the synergistic effects of surface tension, gravity, and liquid pressure. This eliminates the need for auxiliary operations such as pumping, pouring, or squeezing. The SFGD demonstrates exceptional average recovery efficiencies of 94% for oils with viscosities ranging from 10 to 1000 mPa·s at room temperature, including dimethylsilicone oil, soybean oil, and machine oil. With its facile design, ease of fabrication, high recovery efficiency, excellent reclaiming capabilities, and scalability for multiple oil mixtures, the SFGD represents a significant advancement in the separation of immiscible oil/water mixtures of various viscosities and brings the separation process one step closer to practical application.

The advancement of science and technology and the growth of industry have led to an escalating discharge of domestic sewage and industrial wastewater containing dyes. This surge in volume not only incurs higher costs but also exacerbates environmental burdens. However, the benefits of green and reusable catalytic reduction materials within dye processes are still uncertain. Herein, this study utilized the eco-friendly deep eutectic solvent method (DESM) and the chlorite-alkali method (CAM) to prepare a cellulose-composed wood aerogel derived from natural wood for 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction. The life cycle assessment of wood aerogel preparative process showed that the wood aerogel prepared by the one-step DESM method had fewer environmental impacts. The CAM method was used innovatively to make uniform the chemical functional groups of different wood species and various wood maturities. Subsequently, palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) were anchored in the skeleton structure of the wood aerogel with the native chemical groups used as a reducing agent to replace external reducing agents, which reduced secondary pollution and prevented the agglomeration of nanoparticles. Results showed that the catalytic reduction efficiency of 4-NP can reach 99.8%, which shows promises for applications in wastewater treatment containing dyes. Moreover, investigation of the advantages of preparation methods of wood aerogel has important implications for helping researchers and producers choose suitable preparation strategies according to demand.

The persistence of petrochemical plastics necessitates high-performance and recyclable alternatives, yet balancing mechanical robustness with component-level closed-loop recovery remains challenging for biomass-based plastic-replacement films. Here, a high-performance, thermo-malleable, and closed-loop recyclable composite film is constructed by integrating a highly crystalline enzyme-treated mulberry paper (Enzyme-MP) fiber network with an in situ formed polyimine (PI) vitrimer network via capillary-assisted infiltration. This process induces densification and extensive interfacial hydrogen bonding, forming a confined interpenetrating architecture that enhances stress transfer and restricts chain mobility. As a result, the composite film achieves a tensile strength of 70.3 MPa and a Young’s modulus of 2.37 GPa, together with excellent thermomechanical stability over a broad temperature range. The dynamic imine exchange enables thermo-malleability, allowing seamless self-welding and thickness-scalable lamination at 120 °C. The dense structure also acts as an effective barrier, reducing water uptake to 14.3% and providing resistance to various organic solvents. Furthermore, full-component closed-loop recycling is realized via room-temperature transimination, enabling selective depolymerization of the matrix while preserving the crystalline cellulose fiber network. This work demonstrates a viable strategy to integrate high-strength film performance, processability, and chemical recyclability in biomass-based composite films, while providing a basis for future cradle-to-cradle material circulation in recyclable plastic-replacement films.