Antibacterial biodegradable nanofibrous membranes by hybrid needleless electrospinning for high-efficiency particulate matter removal

Abstract

Particulate matters (PMs) seriously threaten people’s health. Nanofibrous filters exhibit the great potential to stop PMs from being breathed into the respiratory system. Here, cellulose acetate/quaternary chitosan (CA/Q-CS) composite nanofibrous membranes were fabricated via a novel hybrid needleless electrospinning technique. The first layer of the CA nanofibrous membrane was generated as the supporting part by a rotary cylinder spinneret, while the second layer of the Q-CS nanofibrous membrane was fabricated via a rotary coil spinneret. The aggregate structure transition from 2D to 3D could be regulated by controlling the repulsive gap between two spinnerets. The CA/Q-CS composite nanofibrous air filter has a high filtration efficiency (96.4% for PM0.3, 99.9% for PM1.0, and 100% for PM2.5), and low air resistance (48 Pa). Meanwhile, these nanofibrous air filters exhibit excellent biodegradability in various environments and high antibacterial performance (98.27 ± 0.45% for E. coli, 98.65 ± 0.26% for S. aureus). This work provides a novel thought for the industrial production of biodegradable and antibacterial nanofibrous high-performance air filters.