Magnetically Responsive PLA-MXene Composite Membrane for Oil Removal at Oil–Water Interfaces

Oil pollution at water interfaces, caused by spills and industrial discharge, severely threatens ecosystems and public health. Cleaning such oil remains challenging due to its rapid spreading, high flammability risk, and susceptibility to environmental disturbances. A promising solution involves magnetically responsive, self-floating oil absorbers that enable safe and remote removal of oil pollutants. Here, we develop a multifunctional membrane via electrospinning a polylactic acid composite with MXene-supported iron oxide nanoparticles, rendering it with hydrophobicity, lipophilicity, and strong superparamagnetism. We demonstrate that the membrane enables magnetically targeted delivery to oil–water interfaces, self-floats on the water surface, and exhibits high adsorption capacities for various oils, including chili oil (∼30 g/g), motor oil (∼24 g/g), diesel oil (∼20 g/g), and sunflower oil (∼14 g/g). We also show that the membrane has robust oil adsorption ability, retaining ∼90% of its capacity after 10 adsorption–desorption cycles, along with stable magnetic responsiveness under harsh conditions, including saline water and UV exposure. Our findings offer a green and sustainable strategy for interfacial oil removal and recovery.