Electrospinning synthesis of CuBTC/TiO2/PS composite nanofiber on HEPA filter with self-cleaning property for indoor air purification

Abstract

In this study, we have developed a cure for indoor air pollution. Herein, we have fabricated CuBTC metal-organic framework MOF combined with TiO2 nanoparticle hybrid material by solvothermal method and obtained it in powder form. The CuBTC/TiO2 hybrid material absorbed toluene higher than TiO2 and CuBTC. CuBTC/TiO2 powder hinders its practical application, however, for the first time, CuBTC/TiO2/PS-based nanofibers were electrospun on a commercial HEPA filter using the electrospinning process in order to examine their air-filtering capabilities. This air filter exhibited 98.6% adsorption efficiency and 129.45 mg g-1 toluene gas adsorption capacity, although pristine HEPA was incapable of absorbing toluene. After the saturated point, a self-cleaning strategy was employed under UV light for regeneration purposes. In addition, the CuBTC/TiO2/PS nanofiber demonstrated superior PM2.5 removal performance, with a 99.82% filtration rate. Compared to a pure HEPA filter, the CuBTC/TiO2/PS-C nanofiber-based HEPA filter has a very high filtration rate and negligible pressure drop when evaluated at various airflow velocities. This study gives significant insight into the design of a self-cleaning nanofiber air filter to protect public health from indoor air pollution and save lives in the near future.