Developing novel materials for oil–water separation is highly desirable to solve the problems caused by oil spills. Herein, a wheat-bran-based hybrid material was prepared using a hydrothermal process, and the feasibility of utilizing the hybrid as an oil gelling agent (OGA) was studied. The results showed that the obtained material exhibited a mild hydrophobicity with a water contact angle above 130°, and an oleophilicity with high adsorption capacity for various oils and organic solvents. Furthermore, the material continuously adsorbed and gelled the oil floating on the water surface, forming an oil–OGA aggregate when in contact with an oil–water mixture. The aggregation-induced gelation observed in the material makes it possible to conveniently remove oil spills from the surface of water. The low cost and environmentally benign process distinguishes the developed material as a candidate that is suitable for the clean-up of oil spills.

中文翻译：

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生物基油胶凝剂，可有效去除水面溢油†

为了解决由溢油引起的问题，迫切需要开发用于油水分离的新型材料。在本文中，使用水热法制备了基于麦麸的杂化材料，并且研究了将该杂化物用作油胶凝剂（OGA）的可行性。结果表明，所获得的材料表现出温和的疏水性，与水的接触角大于130°，并且具有亲油性，对各种油和有机溶剂具有高吸附能力。此外，该材料连续吸附并凝胶化漂浮在水表面的油，当与油水混合物接触时会形成油-OGA聚集体。在材料中观察到的聚集诱导的胶凝作用使得可以方便地从水表面去除溢油。