Characterization of multifunctional PAN/ZnO nanofibrous composite filter for fine dust capture and photocatalytic activity

Abstract

The multifunctional air filter, which can provide low resistance to airflow, was prepared from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers (NFs) by impregnating zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) with photocatalytic activity. Incorporation of ZnO NPs improved the surface roughness and electrostatic charge of electrospun NFs. The PAN/ZnO composite filter with 12 wt%-ZnO showed a filtration efficiency of 98.8% and a pressure drop of 48 Pa for 300 nm aerosol particles, resulting in a quality factor of 0.092 Pa −1. In addition, PAN/ZnO composite exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity in methylene blue (MB) decomposition at 100 and 70.2% efficiencies, respectively, under UV and visible light. K E Y W O R D S applications, separation techniques, synthesis and processing techniques 1 | INTRODUCTION According to the World Health Organization, exposure to air pollutants ranks high among the causes of human mortality (WHO, 2020). Specifically, outdoor air pollution was estimated to cause more than 4 million premature deaths annually. Such magnitude is attributed to inhalation of fine dust particles (otherwise called PM 2.5), associated with several lungs, heart, and respiratory diseases. 1-3 Although much efforts have been devoted to ameliorating PM pollution, the levels of tropospheric PM 2.5 in major cities are still unacceptably high (WHO). Therefore, active researches continue to find the most effective technologies to control PM pollution. Usually, PM is released from industrial, vehicular, and combustion processes, accompanied by some gaseous pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), Sulfur dioxide (SO 2), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). 3 In particular, several adverse

ZnO-Impregnated Polyacrylonitrile Nanofiber Filters against Various Phases of Air Pollutants

“…Based on the results of our previous work [ 12 ], two ZnO concentrations in the nanofibers were selected for the present study, namely: 9 wt% and 12 wt%. As detailed in Table 1 , a total of eight 10 mL test solutions were prepared, in which the solid content (including PAN and ZnO NPs) was held constant at 10 wt%.…”

“…Electrospun nanofibers have been fabricated from various polymers, including polyacrylonitrile (PAN), nylon, and polyvinylidene fluoride [ 10 , 11 ]. Among them, PAN is the most commonly used polymer due to its high dipole moment and excellent mechanical stability [ 12 , 13 ]. To meet the requirements for high-performance PM filtration, electrospun nanofibers can be modified by several structural and chemical methods [ 14 ], with one of the most effective being the combination of two or more materials with complementary functions [ 11 ].…”

Electrospun ZnO Nanofiber Based Resistive Gas/Vapor Sensors -A Review

“…Recently, the ZnO NFs have become an attractive material for sensors due to their physical, functional, and structural properties. [24] NFs are used in batteries, [25,26] fuel cells [27] and supercapacitors [28,29] in the energy sector; in dust filters, [30,31] water filters, [32,33] face masks, [34] and photocatalysis [35,36] in the environment sector; and in drug delivery, [37] tissue engineering, [38] and wound dressing in the health care sector. [39] Fig.…”

Fabrication and Application of Halloysite Nanotube-Embedded Photocatalytic Nanofibers with Antibacterial Properties

“…Many natural and synthetic polymers such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyamide (PA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyethersulfone, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate (PC), polyurethane (PU), polyvinylidene fluoride, cellulose (CA), chitosan (CS), and protein are preferred as bare and composite materials in the indoor air filter fabrication with the electrospinning process. ,,− Among these polymers, especially, PAN stands out and it is a semicrystalline polymer and has high thermal stability, resistance to most solvents, widely used commercially, easily spinnable, and frequently used in air filtration. − PAN polymer has a good compatibility with many nanoadditives. ,− Some metal oxides have been preferred in the fabrication of PAN nanofibers to achieve the photocatalytic properties and antibacterial capabilities of filters . The wide-use materials that impart photocatalytic properties to nanofibers are ZnS, CdS, Fe 2 O 3 , WO 3 , and TiO 2 .…”