Solar-heated ferrimagnetic cellulosic sponge with mono-domain architecture prepared via bidirectional freeze casting for efficient liquid adsorption

Liquid adsorption is widely used in industrial and environmental fields, but tortuous structures of conventional porous adsorbents hinder rapid liquid transport, limiting use in urgent cases such as oil spill cleanup. To overcome this, we designed two strategies: a PDMS wedge to control ice growth and form vertically aligned lamellar channels, and cubic iron oxide nanoparticles (CION) to enhance solar heating. The resulting solar-heated ferrimagnetic sponge rapidly adsorbs even high-viscosity oils without external power, enabling efficient large-scale marine oil spill remediation.

Mr. Jinhyeok Kang is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Engineering at Jeonbuk National University, Republic of Korea. His research focuses on the design and application of porous cellulosic materials for efficient oil/water separation and solar-driven desalination. He has published on advanced functional materials for sustainable water treatment and energy applications, emphasizing environmentally friendly and scalable approaches. His current work aims to develop high-performance cellulosic sponges with tailored structures for large-scale environmental remediation and clean water production.