Sustainable Fabrication of Chitosan/CuO–ZnO Nanocomposite/Stearic Acid Multilayered Superhydrophobic Jute Fabric for Efficient Oil–Water Separation

Abstract

The growing frequency of oil spills and industrial oily wastewater discharge has intensified the demand for sustainable, low‐cost, fluorine‐free materials for efficient oil–water separation. This study employs a straightforward dip‐coating technique on a woven jute substrate with chitosan (CS), followed by integration of a CuO/ZnO nanocomposite (CZ), and a final modification with stearic acid (SA) to develop a superhydrophobic, oil‐absorbing fabric (CS‐CZ 1 ‐SA 1 @JF) exhibiting a water contact angle of 158° ± 1.3°. Density functional theory simulations were used to computationally explain the decrease in surface energy resulting from stearic acid adsorption. The modified jute fabric exhibited outstanding self‐cleaning ability and durability against mechanical abrasion. Due to its higher water repellence properties and selective wettability toward oils, the material exhibited excellent oil–water separation efficiency (>96.9%) for various oil–water mixtures and maintained this efficiency for several consecutive cycles. The developed superhydrophobic fabric effectively eliminated underwater oil, leaving no residual traces. Additionally, it achieved 98.35 ± 0.63% efficiency in separating glycerol contaminants from biodiesel, indicating its potential for biodiesel purification. The developed CS‐CZ 1 ‐SA 1 @JF offers a cost‐effective, renewable, and fluorine‐free alternative for efficient oil–water separation, presenting significant promise for large‐scale deployment in oil spill remediation and industrial wastewater treatment.