Toluene diisocyanate based phase-selective supramolecular oil gelator for effective removal of oil spills from polluted water

• An alkyl bicarbamate oil gelator was synthesized and applied to selectively gelate oils from oil/water mixtures.
• The gelator could self-assemble into 3D networks in many oils immobilizing oil phases to form thermal reversible organogels.
• The optimal conditions for using the oil gelator were experimentally determined.
• Taking gasoline as the co-congealed solvent, complete gelation of oil phase could be achieved within 15 min.

Due to tremendous resource wastes and great harm to ecological environment caused by the accidental oil spills, an alkyl bicarbamate supramolecular oil gelator was synthesized and applied to selectively gelate oils from oil/water mixtures. Interestingly, the oil gelator could be self-assembled in a series of organic solvents, i.e., edible oils and fuel oils to form 3D networks and then turned into thermally reversible organogels, allowing easy separation and removal of oil spills from oil/water mixtures. The possible self-assembly mode for the formation of organogels was proposed. What's more, the optimal conditions for using the oil gelator to recover oils were experimentally determined. Inspiringly, taking gasoline as the co-congealed solvent, a complete gelation of oil phase was achieved within 15 min with high oil removal rate and oil retention rate after convenient salvage and cleanup of oil gels from oil/water mixtures. The oil gelator had some advantages in solidifying oil spills on water surface, exhibiting fast oil gelation, convenient and thorough oil removal and easy recovery. This work illustrates the significant role of oil gelators in the potential cleanup of spilled oils for water purification.

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