Recent advances in membrane hydrophilic modification with plant polyphenol‐inspired coatings for enhanced oily emulsion separation

Oily wastewater, especially the emulsified one, causes serious environment pollution and poses threats to ecosystem resource recycling. Among various filtration media, porous polymeric membranes have gained tremendous attention in dealing with oily emulsions due their energy-saving, cost-effective, highly efficient features. However, alleviate membrane fouling by oil droplets ensure high separation efficiency, endowing superhydrophilicity underwater superoleophobicity via facile strategy is desired. Taking advantages of mild forming conditions, universality cost-efficiency, more efforts been devoted hydrophilic modification plant polyphenol-inspired coatings recent years. In this review, we focus on advances constructing polyphenol-involved surface for oil-in-water emulsion separation. The interactions between polyphenol functional materials including amino-functionalized materials, transition metal ions oxidants covalent chemistry, coordination rapid oxidation are highlighted. addition, impacts resultant coating wettability, performance, anti-oil performance modified systematically summarized. Finally, future outlooks engineering discussed further broaden research related high-efficiency oil/water based technology.