Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was synthesized by chemically reducing graphene oxide (GO) using a reducing agent. The product, rGO, showed excellent hydrophobicity, as indicated by its high-water contact angle, which was greater than 150°. Characterizations using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the composition and structural differences between GO and the superhydrophobic rGO material. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that GO particles exhibited a plate-like morphology with layers of stacked plates, while rGO displayed fewer stacks that show a more separated structure of layers. The increasing demand for superhydrophobic materials in advanced materials industries, due to their potential to enhance performance, durability, and safety, makes rGO a promising candidate for use in composite materials.

Due to its persistence and potential negative effects on ecosystems and human health, microplastic pollution in aquatic environments has become a major worldwide concern. Photocatalytic degradation is a sustainable manner to degrade microplastics to non-toxic by-products. In this review, comprehensive discussion focuses on the synergistic effects of various photocatalytic materials including TiO₂, ZnO, WO₃, graphene oxide, and metal–organic frameworks for producing heterojunctions and involving multidimensional nanostructures. Such mechanisms can include the generation of reactive oxygen species and polymer chain scission, which can lead to microplastic breakdown and mineralization. The advancements of material modifications in the (nano)structure of photocatalysts, doping, and heterojunction formation methods to promote UV and visible light-driven photocatalytic activity is discussed in this paper. Reactor designs, operational parameters, and scalability for practical applications are also reviewed. Photocatalytic systems have shown a lot of development but are hampered by shortcomings which include a lack of complete mineralization and production of intermediary secondary products; variability in performance due to the fluctuation in the intensity of solar light, limited UV light, and environmental conditions such as weather and the diurnal cycle. Future research involving multifunctional, environmentally benign photocatalytic techniques—e.g., doped composites or composite-based catalysts that involve adsorption, photocatalysis, and magnetic retrieval—are proposed to focus on the mechanism of utilizing light effectively and the environmental safety, which are necessary for successful operational and industrial-scale remediation.

Scientists have been encouraged to find different methods for removing harmful heavy metal ions and dyes from bodies of water. The adsorption technique offers promising outcomes for heavy metal ion removal and is simple to run on a large scale, making it appropriate for practical applications. Many adsorbent hydrogels have been developed and reported, comprising N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA)-based hydrogels, which have attracted a lot of interest due to their reusability, simplicity of synthesis, and processing. DMAA hydrogels are also a suitable choice for self-healing materials and materials with good mechanical properties. This review work discusses the recent studies of DMAA-based hydrogels such as hydrogels for dye removal and the removal of hazardous heavy metal ions from water. Furthermore, there are also references about their conduct for self-healing materials and for enhancing mechanical properties.

This study has demonstrated, for the first time, the potential application of coatings to protect bricks or architectures against detrimental atmospheric effects via a self-cleaning approach. In this research, a facile fabrication method was developed to produce amorphous SiO₂ particles and their hierarchical structures via applying trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS). They were fully characterized by various surface analytic tools, including a goniometer, SEM, AFM, zeta sizer, and a spectroscopic technique (FTIR), and then applied as super hydrophobic coatings on glass and sand. The characterization results revealed that the SiO₂ particles are amorphous, quasi-spherical particles with an average diameter of 250–300 nm, and the hierarchical structures in the film were assembled from building blocks of SiO₂ and TMCS. The wettability of the films can be controlled by changing the pH of the SiO₂/TCMS dispersion. A super hydrophobic surface with a water contact angle of 165° ± 1° was achieved at the isoelectric point of the films. The obtained translucent super hydrophobic SiO₂/TMCS coatings show good self-cleaning performances for glass and sand as construction materials. This study indicated that the superhydrophobic coatings may have potential applications in the protection of buildings and construction architectures in the future.

Mechanically-robust nanocomposite membranes have been developed via crosslinking chemistry and electrospinning technique based on the rational selection of dispersed phase materials with high Young's modulus (i.e., graphene and multiwalled carbon nanotubes) and Cassie-Baxter design and used for oil and water separation. Proper selection of dispersed phase materials can enhance the stiffness of nanocomposite fiber membranes while their length has to be larger than their critical length. Chemical modification of the dispersed phase materials with fluorochemcials and their induced roughness were critical to achieve superhydrophobocity. Surface analytic tools including goniometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were applied to characterize the superhydrophobic nanocomposite membranes. An AFM-based nanoindentation technique was used to measure quantitativly the stiffness of the nanocomposite membranes for local region and whole composites, compared with the results by a tensile test technique. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques were used to confirm composition and formation of nanocomposite membranes. These membranes demonstrated excellent oil/water separation. This work has potential application in the field of water purification and remediation.