An efficient and practical method is proposed for the separation of oil–water mixtures and emulsions in sustainable water ecosystems, facilitating energy recovery. The construction of flexible ceramic fiber membranes with high throughput and self-cleaning capabilities has proven effective but challenging. This study reports a novel approach combining the sol–gel and electrospinning techniques to synthesize flexible silicon dioxide (SiO₂)–titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanofiber membranes (STNFMs). These membranes possess nanoscale rough structures, granting them superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity (155°). Exploiting the photocatalytic properties of titanium dioxide, STNFMs-4 not only demonstrates excellent separation performance but also exhibits remarkable self-cleaning abilities. After 2 h of ultraviolet light irradiation, the membrane flux returns to its original level. STNFMs provide a promising solution for highly efficient separation of oil–water mixtures and emulsions, with the potential to play a significant role in water treatment and resource recovery.

中文翻译：

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用于增强油水分离的自清洁 SiO2-TiO2 陶瓷膜

提出了一种有效且实用的方法来分离可持续水生态系统中的油水混合物和乳液，以促进能量回收。事实证明，具有高通量和自清洁能力的柔性陶瓷纤维膜的构造是有效的，但具有挑战性。本研究报告了一种结合溶胶-凝胶和静电纺丝技术来合成柔性二氧化硅（SiO ₂）-二氧化钛（TiO ₂）纳米纤维膜（STNFM）的新方法。这些膜具有纳米级粗糙结构，赋予它们超亲水性和水下超疏油性（155°）。利用二氧化钛的光催化特性，STNFMs-4不仅表现出优异的分离性能，而且还表现出卓越的自清洁能力。紫外光照射2 h后，膜通量恢复到原来的水平。 STNFM 为油水混合物和乳液的高效分离提供了一种有前途的解决方案，有可能在水处理和资源回收中发挥重要作用。