Research Information System
Chemical Engineering Journal, vol.529, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The superwetting materials inspired by the desert beetle's back for emulsified oily wastewater treatment, rooted in their selective separation and asymmetric wettability, are countered by the persistent barriers of inadequate permeation and membrane fouling. An internal inverse beetle-like architecture, comprising parallel wood microchannels and cell wall-embedded ZIF-67 particles, facilitates simultaneous vertical permeation and enhanced droplet coalescence for demulsification. This unique “in-channel” architecture enables active demulsification, as the ZIF-67 bumps promote coalescence of oil droplets during flow transport, effectively converting stable emulsions into readily separable mixtures, and avoiding internal membrane fouling. The resulting ZIF-67/PPy@wood membrane achieves outstanding separation for both surfactant-stabilized (>99.65%, ~9374 L m−2 h−1) and surfactant-free (>99.7%, ~10,755 L m−2 h−1) emulsions under gravity, while uniquely inducing clear oil-water phase stratification. It also separates immiscible oil-water mixtures with >99.85% efficiency and a flux of ~12,600 L m−2 h−1. The membrane demonstrates excellent recyclability and antifouling performance, largely due to its in-channel demulsification and phase-separation capability, representing a significant step toward practical and sustainable oily wastewater treatment.