High-efficient and intelligent antibacterial face mask integrated with airflow-temperature dual-function sensors for respiratory monitoring and disease prevention

Abstract

Intelligent face masks play crucial roles in health monitoring and disease prevention, having attracted huge attention in recent years. However, most of the current intelligent face masks focus on monitoring single physical signal, which were unable to provide comprehensive information. Herein, an intelligent face mask with airflow and temperature sensing abilities, high-efficiency filtration and excellent antibacterial activity was proposed. The real-time airflow monitoring was realized by a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which was composed of electrospun nanofibrous membrane and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite film. The fabricated electrospun nanofibrous membrane simultaneously played roles as tribo-positive material, filter and antibacterial membrane. The PDMS composite film prepared by co-blending and surface modification was applied as tribo-negative material. It was found that the combination of co-blending and surface modification enhanced the tribo-negative property of the PDMS film, resulting in an increment of output performance of TENG. The TENG integrated into a face mask could monitor respiratory rate and respiration intensity in real time. Additionally, the temperature sensing was achieved by a serpentine PDMS/laser-induced graphene temperature sensor. The temperature sensor exhibited a temperature coefficient of resistance of 0.316% °C−1, which could detect subtle temperature variations. Furthermore, the electrospun nanofibrous membrane exhibited excellent filtration performance and antibacterial activity. Therefore, the prepared intelligent face mask showed promising potential for healthcare applications.