Smart hydrophilic and hydrophobic membranes for oil-water emulsion separation: Light, pH, and thermally-responsive strategies

Key Points

• Smart membranes show enhanced performance in separating oil-water emulsions under varying conditions.
• The primary outcome measures include emulsion separation efficiency and responsiveness to light and temperature.
• Analysis of the membranes' performance includes their hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties across different pH levels.
• These findings support the potential for scalable, efficient solutions in environmental and industrial applications.