Preparation of a SiO2@PDA/CS Coated Stainless Steel Mesh with Superhydrophilicity and Underwater Superoleophobicity for Oil–Water Separation

To tackle the environmental challenges associated with industrial oily wastewater discharges and recurrent marine oil spill incidents, developing high-efficiency oil–water separation technologies represents a pressing environmental challenge. This research presents a novel design approach comprising the deposition of a stable SiO2 anchoring layer followed by the fabrication of a PDA/CS crosslinked coating, thereby achieving successful construction of a superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic