LAUSR

Abstract A polypropylene sponge with hierarchical structure was prepared from a polypropylene solution by combination of micro particle template and the phase separation technique. A simple procedure was proved to be able to fabricate a unique sponge in which both submillimeter-sized holes (≈200 μm) and small macrospores (≈10 μm) are formed. The unique structure was successfully confirmed by scanning electron microscopy measurement. In addition, the sponge showed low density, high hydrophobicity, and superoleophilicity. The sponge exhibited good compressibility, and high performance for the adsorption-release of oils. The adsorbability was proved to be improved in a large scale due to the existence of holes. Furthermore, the sponge demonstrated the ability to remove oil-in-water emulsion. Based on the properties, the present sponge has promising prospects for environmental applications in the treatment of oily water.