Utilizing the Potential of Polyvinylidene Fluoride in Developing Durable Superhydrophobic and Antibacterial Nanocomposite Coatings for Oil/Water Separation

ABSTRACT The increasing demand for durable and multifunctional separation materials necessitates polymer‐based coatings that combine mechanical robustness with high selectivity. This study aims to develop antibacterial oil/water separation systems that effectively address challenges posed by microorganisms, which can decrease filter effectiveness and impact overall separation efficiency. Metal meshes were coated with titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), octadecanethiol (ODT), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) via spray coating using four formulations: TiO 2 , PVDF, TiO 2 /ODT, and TiO 2 /ODT/PVDF. PVDF‐containing coatings exhibited superior superhydrophobicity, with a water contact angle of 161° and a sliding angle of 3°, attributed to the dense nano‐roughened texture formed upon drying. The ODT contributed to uniform surface coverage, while PVDF imparted excellent adhesion and mechanical durability, maintaining self‐cleaning performance after 50 abrasion cycles. The TiO 2 /ODT/PVDF formulation demonstrated the highest oil/water separation efficiency and improved oil flux, highlighting the critical contribution of the polymer–nanoparticle interface. Moreover, the nanocomposite coating exhibited pronounced antibacterial activity against S taphylococcus aureus (98.7%) and Escherichia coli (99.2%). These findings underline the potential of polymer‐based nanocomposite coatings as scalable and multifunctional materials for advanced oil/water separation technologies.