Wijaya, RonaldRonaldWijayaCheng, Kuan-ChenKuan-ChenChengSantoso, Shella PermatasariShella PermatasariSantosoLin, Shin-PingShin-PingLinPutro, Jindrayani NyooJindrayani NyooPutroLie, JenniJenniLieHsieh, Chang-WeiChang-WeiHsiehHsu, Hsien-YiHsien-YiHsuGo, Alchris WooAlchris WooGoAngkawijaya, Artik ElisaArtik ElisaAngkawijaya2025-07-142025-07-142025-0601418130https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105007064291&origin=resultslisthttps://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/730706An environmentally friendly absorbent sponge was successfully developed for diesel spill remediation via alginate polymer crosslinking followed by surface modification using tannic acid and dodecanethiol (TA/Do). The optimal sponge was obtained with a 3 h crosslinking duration, achieving a balance between absorption performance and structural durability, while longer crosslinking times led to increased density and reduced efficiency. Surface modification imparted hydrophobicity to the alginate sponge, confirmed by a water contact angle of 120.2°, and the successful incorporation of TA/Do was confirmed from FTIR and XPS analysis. The modified sponge (AA-3-TA/Do) exhibited a diesel absorption capacity of 17.54 g/g-a 36 % increase over the unmodified form-and retained ∼90 % of this capacity after 34 absorption-desorption cycles. Kinetic modeling showed that diesel was rapidly absorbed during early contact, with faster uptake than water. A cytotoxicity assay confirmed its non-toxic nature, indicating environmental compatibility. This study demonstrates that a simple, scalable modification using accessible materials can significantly enhance oil sorbent performance without requiring complex techniques or hazardous reagents.enfalseAlginate spongeDiesel absorptionOil spill management[SDGs]SDG6[SDGs]SDG14journal article10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144453404126882-s2.0-105007064291