This paper presents the preparation and the absorption characteristics of cucurbit[6]uril/poly(urethane) sponges towards petroleum, diesel and soy bean oils over fresh and seawater. These sponges are able to absorb more than 3 times their weight in oil in less than 20 minutes. Furthermore, they are reusable and the oil they absorb may be recovered quantitatively for more than ten times, using mechanical pressure. This feature increases their absorption capacity to more than 30 times in weight at least.
Cucurbit [6]uril (CB[6]) and its complex with VO 2+ (CB[6]VO) were intercalated into lamellar vanadium pentoxide in several proportions, generating a series of hybrid pillarised intercalates in the form of xerogel films. These different guests dramatically affect Li + insertion/expulsion from the composites during redox processes. Our results show that CB[6] has little effect or may even impair charge compensation by Li + , while CB[6]VO exerts the opposite effect, enhancing this process when compared to pure vanadium pentoxide. This is clear evidence that CB[6] binds these ions retaining them in the bulk structure, and when the oculi are blocked by VO 2+ ions, the macrocycle acts as a non-coordinating pillar in the structure favoring ion traffic, and charge compensation processes become easier. Specific charge capacities for pure vanadium pentoxide, CB[6] and CB[6]VO intercalates correspond to 158, 168 and 230 mA h g −1 respectively. † Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: FTIR and TGA analyses, AFM and SEM images, electrochemical data for the 5, 7 and 10% intercalates.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.