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This study investigates the innovative applications of the [Zn 9 (Cei) 6 (Bimb) * 9 ] n (Zn-MOF) metal-organic framework and its composite with melamine sponge ( Zn-MOF@MS ) in the domains of photocatalytic degradation and fluorescence sensing. The Zn-MOF@MS composite demonstrates exceptional performance in the photocatalytic degradation of Rose Bengal (RB) dye, achieving a high degradation rate under optimized conditions (pH 5, 10 mg/L RB concentration, 6 mg photocatalyst dosage, and 120-minute reaction time). Additionally, Zn-MOF exhibits notable fluorescence sensing capabilities, enabling the detection of 2-nitrotoluene (2NT) and sucrose at low concentrations, with detection limits of 0.298 ppm and 1.129 ppm, respectively. These results highlight the novel integration of Zn-MOF with a melamine sponge matrix, showcasing significant advancements in both environmental remediation and analytical chemistry. The study underscores the potential of Zn-MOF@MS as a versatile material with substantial implications for improving dye degradation processes and enhancing chemical sensing precision. This work advances the field by demonstrating the dual functionality of Zn-MOF materials and providing a robust platform for future research and technological development in environmental and analytical applications.

Non-stoichiometric carbides have been proven to be effective electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials. In this study, phase and morphology of XZnC (X = Fe/Co/Cu) loaded on a three dimensional (3D) network structure melamine sponge (MS) carbon composites were investigated through vacuum filtration followed by calcination. The FeZnC/CoZnC/CuZnC with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were uniformly dispersed on the surface of melamine sponge carbon skeleton and Co-containing sample exhibits the highest CNTs concentration. The minimum reflection loss (RL min ) of the CoZnC/MS composite ( m composite : m paraffin = 1:1, m represents mass) reached −33.60 dB, and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) reached 9.60 GHz. The outstanding electromagnetic wave absorption (EMWA) properties of the CoZnC/MS composite can be attributed to its unique hollow structure, which leads to multiple reflections and scattering. The formed conductive network improves dielectric and conductive loss. The incorporation of Co enhances the magnetic loss capability and optimizes interfacial polarization and dipole polarization. By simultaneously improving dielectric and magnetic losses, excellent impedance matching performance is achieved. The clarification of element replacement in XZnC/MS composites provides an efficient design perspective for high-performance non-stoichiometric carbide EMW absorbers.

Introducing heating function to oil sorbents opens up a new pathway to the fast cleanup of viscous crude oil spills in situ . The oil sorption speed increases with the rise of the temperature, thus oil sorbents with high heating temperature are desirable. Besides, the oil sorbents also need to be produced environment-friendly. Here we present carbonized melamine-formaldehyde sponges (CMSs) that exhibited superior heating performance and the CMSs could be massively fabricated through a non-polluting pyrolysis process. The conductive CMSs could be heated over 300 °C with a low applied voltage of 6.9 V and keep above 250 °C for 30 min in the air without obvious damage. Such high heating performance enabled heating up the oil spills with a high rate of 2.65 °C·s −1 and 14% improvement of oil sorption coefficient compared with the state-of-the-art value. We demonstrated that one joule-heated CMS could continuously and selectively collect viscous oil spills (9,010 mPa·s) 690 times its own weight in one hour. The CMSs will be a highly competitive sorbent material for the fast remediation of future crude oil spills.

NiMZn/C@melamine sponge-derived carbon (MSDC) composites (M = Co, Fe, and Mn) were prepared by a vacuum pumping solution method followed by carbonization. A large number of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) homogeneously attached to the surfaces of the three-dimensional cross-linked of the sponge-derived carbon in the NiCoZn/C@MSDC composite, and CNTs were detected in the NiFeZn/C@MSDC and NiMnZn/C@MSDC composites. Ni 3 ZnC 0.7 , Ni 3 Fe, and MnO in-situ formed in the NiFeZn/C@MSDC and NiMnZn/C@MSDC composites. The CNTs in the NiCoZn/C@MSDC composite efficiently modulated its complex permittivity. Thus, the composite exhibited the best performance among the composites, with the minimum reflection loss (RL min ) of −33.1 dB at 18 GHz and thickness of 1.4 mm. The bandwidth for RL of ≤−10 dB was up to 5.04 GHz at the thickness of 1.7 mm and loading of 25wt%. The optimized impedance matching, enhanced interfacial and dipole polarization, remarkable conduction loss, and multiple reflections and scattering of the incident microwaves improved the microwave absorption performance. The effects of Co, Ni, and Fe on the phase and morphology provided an alternative way for developing highly efficient and broadband microwave absorbers.

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to syngas (CO and H2) offers an efficient way to mitigate carbon emissions and store intermittent renewable energy in chemicals. Herein, the hierarchical one‐dimensional/three‐dimensional nitrogen‐doped porous carbon (1D/3D NPC) is prepared by carbonizing the composite of Zn‐MOF‐74 crystals in situ grown on a commercial melamine sponge (MS), for electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). The 1D/3D NPC exhibits a high CO/H2 ratio (5.06) and CO yield (31 mmol g−1 h−1) at −0.55 V, which are 13.7 times and 21.4 times those of 1D porous carbon (derived from Zn‐MOF‐74) and N‐doped carbon (carbonized by MS), respectively. This is attributed to the unique spatial environment of 1D/3D NPC, which increases the adsorption capacity of CO2 and promotes electron transfer from the 3D N‐doped carbon framework to 1D carbon, improving the reaction kinetics of CO2RR. Experimental results and charge density difference plots indicate that the active site of CO2RR is the positively charged carbon atom adjacent to graphitic N on 1D carbon and the active site of HER is the pyridinic N on 1D carbon. The presence of pyridinic N and pyrrolic N reduces the number of electron transfer, decreasing the reaction kinetics and the activity of CO2RR. The CO/H2 ratio is related to the distribution of N species and the specific surface area, which are determined by the degree of spatial confinement effect. The CO/H2 ratios can be regulated by adjusting the carbonization temperature to adjust the degree of spatial confinement effect. Given the low cost of feedstock and easy strategy, 1D/3D NPC catalysts have great potential for industrial application. The hierarchical one‐dimensional/three‐dimensional nitrogen‐doped porous carbon (1D/3D NPC) was prepared by carbonizing the composite of Zn‐MOF‐74 crystals in situ grown on a commercial melamine sponge, for electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). The 1D/3D NPC exhibits a high CO/H2 ratio (5.06) and CO yield (31 mmol g−1 h−1) at −0.55 V, which is 13.7 times and 21.4 times of 1D porous carbon (derived from Zn‐MOF‐74) and N‐doped carbon (carbonized by MS), respectively. This is attributed to the spatial confinement effect of 3D N‐doped carbon framework on 1D porous carbon, which significantly improves the reaction kinetics of CO2RR by increasing specific surface areas, CO2 adsorption, mass transport, and facilitating electron transfer from the 3D N‐doped carbon framework to 1D carbon.

The increasing occurrence of oil spills and industrial effluents containing oil have heightened the need for effective oil-water separation. This study developed a magnetic superhydrophobic melamine sponge using a dip-coating method with ZnO, stearic acid, and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles. Characterization via XRD, FESEM, EDX, FT-IR, AFM, VSM, and water contact angle measurements (160.96˚ ± 0.65˚) revealed its excellent properties. The sponge demonstrated a sorption capacity of 36.12 ± 1.9 to 83.71 ± 2.8 g·g −1 and separation efficiency ranging from 97.82 ± 1.3 to 99.83 ± 1.7%. Its performance in removing oil from real industrial effluent was also evaluated. Additionally, the sponge exhibited reusability and high efficiency in separating emulsified oil droplets. These results highlight the potential of the modified sponge as an effective sorbent for oily wastewater treatment.

Frequent oil spills generate large amounts of oily wastewater, which severely harms the environment. The development of efficient oil-water separation materials is of great significance for both ecological environment management and resource recycling. Herein, a hydrophobic sponge composite (MS@POCs) with the water contact angle of 142° was successfully prepared by in-situ growth of trifluoromethyl-functionalized porous organic cage (CPOC-302-CF 3 ) on the surface of melamine sponge. The oil absorption capacity of MS@POCs for different oil substances was determined to be 62–123 mg/mg, and the adsorption performance remained unchanged after 15 adsorption-desorption experiments, demonstrating its good recoverability. More importantly, MS@POCs could effectively separate various oil-water mixtures and surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsions with a maximum separation efficiency of 99.8%. This work presents a simple and effective method for fabricating hydrophobic sponges, which may also serve as a reference for designing other porous materials with high hydrophobicity.

The rapidly increased interest in multifunctional nanoelectronic devices, such as wearable monitors, smart robots, and electronic skin, motivated many researchers toward the development of several kinds of sensors in recent years. Flexibility, stability, sensitivity, and low cost are the most important demands for exploiting stretchable or compressible strain sensors. This article describes the formation and characteristics of a flexible, low-cost strain sensor by combining a commercial melamine sponge and a graphene/carbon nanotubes hybrid. The composite that emerged by doping the highly elastic melamine sponge with a highly conductive graphene/carbon nanotubes hybrid showed excellent piezoresistive behavior, with low resistivity of 22 kΩ m. Its function as a piezoresistive material exhibited a high sensitivity of 0.050 kPa−1 that combined with a wide detection area ranging between 0 to 50 kPa.

This study investigates the multifunctional properties of a carbon black (CB)- and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-modified melamine sponge, focusing on flame retardancy, electromagnetic wave absorption, and sensing capabilities. Scanning electron microscopy analysis reveals the microstructural changes induced by CB modification, with CB particles forming a continuous layer on the sponge skeleton. Thermal analysis via thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis indicates increased residual mass with higher CB content, while Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shows minimal alteration in the organic constituents post-modification. Flame-retardancy testing demonstrates enhanced flame suppression in CB-modified sponges, with residual char percentages of 26%, 72%, and 85% for the raw sponge, low-CB/sponge, and high-CB/sponge, respectively. Electromagnetic wave absorption performance is evaluated through impedance matching and reflection loss mapping, indicating the optimal thickness for absorption efficiency. Additionally, the high-CB/sponge exhibits promising sensing properties, accurately detecting human motions with high reproducibility and durability. Overall, the study highlights the multifunctional capabilities of CB-modified melamine sponge, making it a promising candidate for various applications requiring flame retardancy, electromagnetic wave absorption, and sensing functionalities.

It is a challenge to endow the material with the ability to pollutants degradation while maintaining the oil/water separation performance. Herein, the mixed dispersion of BiOBr photocatalyst and silicone sol was adsorbed in melamine foam. Superhydrophobic BiOBr-silicone aerogel (WCA=154°) was obtained through the transfer melamine foam to an autoclave and reaction at 80°C for 20 h. The prepared superhydrophobic BiOBr-silicone aerogel can effectively remove the water soluble pollutants which remain within the water phase after oil/water separation. The band gap of the superhydrophobic BiOBr-silicone aerogel was calculated to be 2.71 eV, which shows sensitivity to visible light (458 nm). Through mechanism analysis, it is found that the VB position of BiOBr is at 1.07 eV and the position of CB is at -1.64 eV. Finally, we prepared a superhydrophobic BiOBr-silicone aerogel (5 cm×5 cm×3 cm) for the verification of the large scale preparation.