Offshore oil spills, industrial oily wastewater, and domestic oil pollution are some of the most serious global challenges, and are leading environmental causes of morbidity and mortality. Nanofiber membrane materials manufactured via electrostatic spinning for oil/water separation have become one of the emerging technologies to treat oil/water emulsions. Here, we give a comprehensive review of current progress on electrospinning nanofibers for oil/water separation to promote the field’s advancement. Typical examples of hydrophilic–oleophobic, hydrophobic–oleophilic, and special wettability nanofiber membranes are systematically summarized. The effects of material selection, fiber production processes, and subsequent modifications on the membrane performance are compared and discussed. Potential shortcomings of various types of separation membranes and the potential solutions are provided. The review concludes with a summary and outlook on future directions and innovations in electrospinning nanofibers and membranes for oil/water separation.

Graphene oxide (GO), a derivative of graphene, is a novel carbon material that has attracted a lot of attention in the field of membrane materials as its ability to achieve layer-by-layer stacking and the formation of nanochannels between the lamellae makes it excellent for selective separation of substances. In this paper, the separation mechanism of the GO membrane is summarized. According to the different separation substances, the separation mechanism of graphene oxide membrane is reviewed from two aspects of metal ions and organic pollutants. Next, the preparation methods of graphene oxide membranes is introduced, such as spin-coating, vacuum filtration, dip-coating, spraying, and layer-by-layer self-assembly, followed by a review on the structural regulation of GO. Finally, this paper concludes with an overview of the potential development prospects and challenges of GO membranes.