Abstract: Certain aspects of the invention relate to a method of synthesizing a composite usably for oil-water separation comprising surface nanostructuring a pristine powder or porous material to form a nanostructured powder or porous material having surfaces with nanoscale features; and coating single or multilayers of one or more low surface energy oligomers, polymers, or their composites with other materials on the surfaces of the nanostructured powder or porous material.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the invention relate to a method of synthesizing a composite usably for oil-water separation comprising surface nanostructuring a pristine powder or porous material to form a nanostructured powder or porous material having surfaces with nanoscale features; and coating single or multilayers of one or more low surface energy oligomers, polymers, or their composites with other materials on the surfaces of the nanostructured powder or porous material.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the invention relate to a composite for oil-water separation, synthesis methods and applications of the same. The composite includes a nanostructured powder or porous material having surfaces with nanoscale features, formed from a pristine powder or porous material by a surface nanostructuring process, and single or multilayers of a low surface energy oligomer or polymer coated on the surfaces of the nanostructured powder or porous material. The composite is hydrophobic (or superhydrophobic) and oleophilic (or superoleophilic) operably repelling water and absorbing oil, or oleophobic (or superoleophobic) and hydrophilic (or superhydrophilic) operably repelling oil and absorbing water.

Abstract: A method of forming metal oxide nanostructures on a metallic material includes applying a hot water process to the metallic material, which includes treating the metallic material with hot water under a treatment condition for a period of time so as to form metal oxide nanostructures on a surface of the metallic material, where the treated metallic material with metal oxide nanostructures under the hot water process has a high surface area that is higher than its pristine surface area of the metallic material. Also, a method of depositing metal oxide nanostructures on a target material includes applying a hot water process to a source metallic material and the target material, which includes treating the source metallic material and the target material with hot water under a treatment condition for a period of time so as to form metal oxide nanostructures on a surface of the target material.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the invention relate to a composite for oil-water separation, synthesis methods and applications of the same. The composite includes a nanostructured powder or porous material having surfaces with nanoscale features, formed from a pristine powder or porous material by a surface nanostructuring process, and single or multilayers of a low surface energy oligomer or polymer coated on the surfaces of the nanostructured powder or porous material. The composite is hydrophobic (or superhydrophobic) and oleophilic (or superoleophilic) operably repelling water and absorbing oil, or oleophobic (or superoleophobic) and hydrophilic (or superhydrophilic) operably repelling oil and absorbing water.