Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Membrane <italic style="font-style: italic">via</italic> One-step Spraying Strategy Utilizing Organosilicon Chemistry and Its Performance in Membrane Distillation

Tian-Tian Li; Zheng Xu; Yu-Jing Zhang; Ming-Han Su; Shun-Da Liu; Shao-Fei Zhang

doi:10.1007/s10118-025-3488-2

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Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Membrane via One-step Spraying Strategy Utilizing Organosilicon Chemistry and Its Performance in Membrane Distillation

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-01-13

- Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Membrane via One-step Spraying Strategy Utilizing Organosilicon Chemistry and Its Performance in Membrane Distillation
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Issue 1, Pages: 223-233(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  Hebei Key Laboratory of Flexible Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang 050018, China
- Author bio：
  
  litiantian669@163.com (T.T.L.)
  zhangshaofei988403@163.com (S.F.Z.)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-025-3488-2
  CLC：
- Received：02 September 2025，
  
  Accepted：20 October 2025，
  
  Published Online：25 December 2025，
  
  Published：15 January 2026
- Accepted：
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Li, T. T.; Xu, Z.; Zhang, Y. J.; Su, M. H.; Liu, S. D.; Zhang, S. F. Fabrication of superhydrophobic membrane via one-step spraying strategy utilizing organosilicon chemistry and its performance in membrane distillation. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 223–233

Tian-Tian Li, Zheng Xu, Yu-Jing Zhang, et al. Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Membrane via One-step Spraying Strategy Utilizing Organosilicon Chemistry and Its Performance in Membrane Distillation[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(1): 223-233.
Li, T. T.; Xu, Z.; Zhang, Y. J.; Su, M. H.; Liu, S. D.; Zhang, S. F. Fabrication of superhydrophobic membrane via one-step spraying strategy utilizing organosilicon chemistry and its performance in membrane distillation. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 223–233 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3488-2.

Tian-Tian Li, Zheng Xu, Yu-Jing Zhang, et al. Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Membrane via One-step Spraying Strategy Utilizing Organosilicon Chemistry and Its Performance in Membrane Distillation[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(1): 223-233. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3488-2.

摘要

This study presents a one-step spraying strategy for fabricating a superhydrophobic composite membrane

significantly simplifying the preparation process. The resulting membrane demonstrates superstability and excellent scale resistance during membrane distillation (MD) tests

highlighting its strong potential for durable and efficient MD applications.

Abstract

Membrane distillation (MD) is an advanced membrane separation process that employs hydrophobic microporous membranes to separate non-volatile solutes from the feed solution

driven by vapor pressure gradients generated through thermal difference. This technology offers strong desalination capabilities and efficiently harnesses low-grade thermal energy sources

including geothermal and waste heat

making it a cost-effective solution for freshwater scarcity. Nevertheless

hydrophobic membranes are prone to contamination by surfactants

inorganic salts

and other substances in feed solutions. To address this

low-s

urface-energy composite nano-inorganic materials composed of carbon nanotubes and silica were modified and synthesized

via

organosilicon chemistry. A superhydrophobic surface exhibiting a water contact angle of 157.96

was successfully fabricated using above nano-materials on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane surface with micro-nano structures

via

a one-step spray-coating method. Compared to unmodified PVDF membrane

the superhydrophobic membrane demonstrated superior resistance to common scaling agents such as CaCl

Mg(OH)

CaCO

and CaSO

while maintaining stable permeate flux (13.4 kg·m

–2

·h

–1

) during MD tests. Additionally

the modified membrane exhibited enhanced wetting resistance when treating feed solutions containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)

significantly extending the operational lifespan of the membrane. Due to its outstanding performance

this superhydrophobic membrane is expected to promote the practical application of MD technology in the treatment of complex wastewater and efficient seawater desalination.

关键词

Keywords

references

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Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Membrane via One-step Spraying Strategy Utilizing Organosilicon Chemistry and Its Performance in Membrane Distillation

DOI：10.1007/s10118-025-3488-2

摘要

Abstract

关键词

Keywords

references