ABSTRACT
Deposition of dopamine and tannic acid has received great attention in the fields of surface and interface science and technology. The deposition behaviors of various metal-phenolic systems have been investigated, and it is generally accepted that at least one catechol group is essential to the formation of the coatings. Herein, we report a novel and effective surface-coating system based on the coordination complexes of FeIII ions with a natural product juglone that contains only one phenolic hydroxyl. We investigated the deposition behaviors of this novel system on various substrates. Microporous polypropylene membrane modified with juglone/FeIII coatings is superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic, showing high separation efficiency and good reusability for various oil/water emulsions. In addition, the modified membrane can adsorb anionic dyes and selectively remove them from dye mixtures with high efficiency. We further demonstrated that the coating is a result of the synergetic effect of juglone/FeIII coordination and FeIII hydrolysis. This work not only provides new insights into surface deposition systems but also expands the polyphenol family for surface coatings of multifunctional materials.
