High Efficiency Antibacterial, Moisture Permeable, and Low Temperature Comfortable Janus Nanofiber Membranes for High Performance Air Filters and Respiration Monitoring Sensors

Abstract

In this work, high efficiency and multifunctional poly(vinyl alcohol‐co‐ethylene) nanofiber, Ag particle, and polypropylene (PP) meltblown nonwoven substrate composite (NF@Ag) air filters by a simple spray coating method and subsequent UV irradiation treatment are demonstrated. The water vapor transmission rate of the NF@Ag‐4 air filter is 4753.36 ± 316.75 g/(m2 d), which is higher than that of commercial PP nonwoven (4240.71 ± 354.36 g/(m2 d)). It is can be explained that the NF@Ag‐4 air filter is a Janus structure with asymmetric wettability, which enhances moisture permeability, thereby improving comfort while wearing. The NF@Ag‐2 air filter exhibits high filtration efficiency (95.80 ± 0.89%) and relatively low pressure drop (122.00 ± 1.73 Pa) without relying on the electrostatic adsorption effect. The resulting NF@Ag air filters display excellent antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, photothermal disinfection, and thermal insulation performance. Furthermore, the as‐prepared NF@Ag air filters can be simply patterned and designed as respiration monitoring sensors to precisely detect the respiratory activity and health of the human being. Therefore, it is believed that these multifunctional air filters will have good potential for applications in the removal of particular matters and breathable wearable electronic devices.

Tailoring the Microstructure of Biodegradable PLA/PBS Melt-Blown Nonwovens with Enhanced Mechanical Performance by In Situ PBS Fibrils Formation

“…Besides, the introduction of the in situ fibrous structure did not destroy the wearing comfort of the nonwovens. The air permeability value and moisture permeability value were 409.42 mm/s and ∼4441 g/(m 2 ·d), respectively, which were similar to the commercial nonwovens reported in recent years. ,,− These findings highlight a new direction in the preparation of biodegradable melt-blown nonwovens with excellent mechanical properties.…”

An ultrafine spider-like carbon nanonet for high performance air filters, health monitoring sensors, and green energy generators

“…The preparation of a PVA-co-PE nanober suspension follows our previous literature. [33][34][35] The NF air lters were achieved by spray coating 32 mL of 2 wt% PVA-co-PE nanober suspension onto the surface of 20 g m −2 PP meltblown nonwoven (Handan Hengyong Protective Cleaning Supplies Co., Ltd.), which was soaked in isopropanol (IPA, Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd) solution for 12 hours to effectively remove electret charges before use. 1 mL, 2 mL, and 3 mL of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) (0.15 wt%, Xianfeng Nanomaterial Technology Co., Ltd) solutions were diluted with 15 mL of deionized water followed by sonication with a probe sonicator (Ningbo Xinzhi Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Zhejiang Province, China) to obtain well dispersed SWCNT solutions.…”

“…The effectiveness of the comfort of a face mask is dependent on its ability to efficiently transfer water vapor or moisture to the outer surface of the mask and dissipate rapidly. 23,33 Consequently, the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) is a critical parameter that is essential to ensure that the face mask remains comfortable. The WVTRs of the different air lters are displayed in Fig.…”

A Fiber Sliding–Orientation Based Micromechanics Failure Model for Melt-Blown Nonwovens

“…Melt-blown technology refers to the one-step production of microfiber nonwovens based on hot airflow stretching polymer melt. 1,2 Nowadays melt-blown nonwovens (MNs) made with fine fiber diameter, small pore size, and high porosity are commonly used in filtration, 3−7 adsorption, 8−11 thermal insulation, 12,13 sound absorption, 14−16 and other fields because of the benefits of the quick production process, high production efficiency and solvent-free. For instance, in the realm of air filtration, polypropylene MNs may efficiently block germs and particle pollution as the core filter layer of masks, safeguarding people's health all over the world.…”

“…Melt-blown technology refers to the one-step production of microfiber nonwovens based on hot airflow stretching polymer melt. , Nowadays melt-blown nonwovens (MNs) made with fine fiber diameter, small pore size, and high porosity are commonly used in filtration, − adsorption, − thermal insulation, , sound absorption, − and other fields because of the benefits of the quick production process, high production efficiency and solvent-free. For instance, in the realm of air filtration, polypropylene MNs may efficiently block germs and particle pollution as the core filter layer of masks, safeguarding people’s health all over the world. − MNs, however, are frequently coupled with other skeletal materials to satisfy the mechanical demands of commercial applications. ,− In addition to adding to the production time and expense of melt-blown, the composite technique also goes against consumer desire for comfort and lightness. ,, To address this problem, considerable research efforts have been devoted recently to improving the mechanical behavior of MNs through polymer modification, − fiber formation, − and posttreatment. , However, because of the random organization, irregular diameter, and poor interlayer bonding of the fibers in MNs, it is challenging to further improve their mechanical characteristics.…”