New Dextrose–Tartaramide‐Derived Hydrophobic Polyurethane Sponges for Remarkable Separation of Oils and Non‐Polar Organic Solvents From Water

The purposeful synthesis of biocompatible and efficient polyurethane foams (PUF‐DTA 1‐4 ) is achieved by employing dextrose and hydrophobic tartaramide at varied molar ratios. Among all, one of the foams (PUF‐DTA 3 ) shows the best absorption capacity for the separation of oils and organic solvents in a relatively shorter time from the water surface. With more than 95° water contact angle, PUF‐DTA 3 displays remarkable absorption efficiencies for chloroform (1600%), benzene (565%), toluene (1547%), diesel (1053%), petrol (1006%), sunflower oil (896%), coconut oil (632%), and mustard oil (612%)/100 mg of foam. Notably, PUF‐DTA 3 is reusable for many absorption‐squeezing cycles (i.e. , > 10 cycles) and the performance order follows the trend: PUF‐DTA 3 » PUF‐DTA 2 » PUF‐DTA 4 > PUF‐DTA 1 . The promising oil/organic solvent separation could be due to the acquisition of required hydrophobic and oleophilic properties in PUF‐DTA 3 . Further, the structural and functional properties of PUF‐DTA 3 were assessed using various spectroscopic and analytical techniques. The salient features of the present work are easy and room‐temperature synthesis of task‐specific foams, excellent hydrophobic and oleophilic properties, thermal stability, excellent compression, tensile strength, and reusability. These promising scalable applications in oil–water separation can be demonstrated through a simple, cost‐effective, and eco‐friendly process.