Supplementary Movie S1 is available online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0257897220302206?via%3Dihub#ac0005:~:text=Download%20all-,Supplementary%20Movie%20S1,-Supplemtantary%20information%20for .Supplementary information is available online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0257897220302206?via%3Dihub#ec0010 .To valorize the naturally abundant biomass, bio-composites made of biomass and functional nano-materials have attracted a great deal of attention. By incorporating alginate with TiO2/RGO nanocomposites, TiO2/RGO/Alginate composite (TRGA) aerogels are fabricated via a facile freeze-drying method. TiO2/RGO nanocomposites can effectively improve the surface roughness and mechanical performance of alginate-based matrix, and provide the aerogels with light-driven self-cleaning ability. Without further chemical modification, the as-fabricated TRGA aerogel shows: i) collective underwater superoleophobicity (θoil > 150° for various oils), ii) effective oil/water separation performance (9.76 L·m−2·s−1 water permeate flux and 99.96% separation efficiency) and iii) excellent light-induced recyclability. With light-driven self-cleaning ability, the continuously deteriorated separation performance of aerogel can be easily renewed, and maintain an effective oil/water separation performance even after 120 cycles. Benefiting from its facile fabrication and excellent properties, the developed aerogel can be a promising candidate for practical oil/water separation in marine oil spill clean-up applications.This work is financially supported by the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in Fujian Province University (NCETFJ); Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province (No. 2016J01207); Youth Education and Scientific of Fujian Province (No. JAT170154); and Outstanding Youth Fund of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (No. XJQ201419, CXZX2017292)
