Adsorption Of Volatile Organic Compounds Research Articles

Hierarchical diffusion pathways into VOC adsorption films by direct ink writing and ammonium carbonate treatment

In-situ thermally restorable adsorption films exhibited brilliant performance for indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) purification with negligible wind resistance and considerable lifetime. However, the morphology of adsorption films should be restructured for better adsorption kinetics. This study structured adsorption films with submillimeter-sized channels by direct ink writing (DIW). Submicron-micron-sized porous structure was further fabricated through ammonia carbonate treatment. Pore size distribution characterization proved 33% of extra mesopores were created in the hierarchical porous adsorption film. Dynamic adsorption behaviours for formaldehyde and toluene illustrated that the hierarchical porous adsorption film exhibited an over 80% initial one-pass efficiency for both formaldehyde and toluene, improved by 20% over the plane adsorption film. The purification rate was also significantly improved by 83% and 67% for formaldehyde (from 0.059 mg g-1h−1 to 0.106 mg g-1h−1) and toluene (from 0.143 mg g-1h−1 to 0.239 mg g-1h−1), respectively. This study proposed a method for conveniently preparing multi-scale porous structured adsorption components under mild conditions. The hierarchical diffusion pathways induced by DIW and ammonium carbonate treatment will enhance the adsorption kinetics and the purification performance of the adsorption film, overcoming the weak purification performance and short material lifetime of the existing indoor VOCs adsorption components. This research can be further applied to gas separation, as well as gas sensing, as DIW can achieve sub-millimeter scale resolution, providing a versatile approach for heat and mass transfer enhancement in chemical and environmental fields.

Effect of functional groups on VOCs adsorption by activated carbon: DFT study

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have attracted increasing attention in the field of environmental control due to their harmful effects on human health and the environment. Activated carbon is promising as an adsorbent for VOCs. The physisorption of six VOCs (methane (CH4), dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), ethylene (C2H4), formaldehyde (HCHO), ethanol (C2H5OH), and toluene (C7H8)) by four activated carbon models (without functional group (NF), with hydroxyl (HD), pyridine (PD), and pyrrole (PR) group, respectively) was studied in combination with their electrostatic potential (ESP). The results show that ESP plays a decisive role in the adsorption of CH4, CH2Cl2, C2H4, HCHO, and C2H5OH, as their adsorption is mainly carried out by H-bonds. The functional group affects the adsorption process by changing the ESP distribution on the activated carbon surface. The orders of the absolute ESP values on the plane and edge of activated carbon are PR>HD>NF>PD and HD>PR>PD>NF, respectively, so that the order of the interaction strength and the physisorption energy are almost the same. Meanwhile, dispersion can enhance adsorption and change the order. For example, the order of CH2Cl2 adsorption at the activated carbon edge is PD>HD>PR>NF. C7H8 is difficult to be adsorbed at the activated carbon edge, but it can be adsorbed on the plane by a π-π stacking interaction whose strength is controlled by the relative molecular mass of activated carbon. This study will guide the design of activated carbon for efficient adsorption of VOCs.

Effect of microstructure in mesoporous adsorbents on the adsorption of low concentrations of VOCs: An experimental and simulation study

This study evaluated the adsorption of five volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on Opoka, precipitated silica, and palygorskite, to elucidate the effect of their pore size on VOCs adsorption. The adsorption capacity of these adsorbents is not only highly correlated with their surface area and pore volume, but also notably improved by the presence of micropores. The variation in adsorption capacity for different VOCs was primarily influenced by their boiling point and polarity. Palygorskite, which had the smallest total pore volume (0.357 cm3/g) but the largest micropore volume (0.043 cm3/g) among the three adsorbents, exhibited the highest adsorption capacity for all tested VOCs. Additionally, the study constructed slit pore models of palygorskite with micropores (0.5 and 1.5 nm) and mesopores (3.0 and 6.0 nm), calculated and discussed the heat of adsorption, concentration distribution, and interaction energy of VOCs adsorbed on different pore models. The results revealed that the adsorption heat, concentration distribution, total interaction energy, and van der Waals energy decrease with increasing pore size. The concentration of VOCs in 0.5 nm pore was nearly three times that in 6.0 nm pore. This work can also provide guidance for further research on using adsorbents with mixed microporous and mesoporous structures to control VOCs.

Biomimetic Metal-Organic Framework-Based Photonic Crystal Sensor for Highly Sensitive Visual Detection and Effective Discrimination of Benzene Vapor.

Due to the large specific surface area and continuous pores in structures, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show great advantages in the adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Photonic crystal (PC) sensors derived from MOFs are promising for the visual detection of VOC gases. However, they still have problems of low sensitivity and poor color saturation and tunability. Here, inspired by vapor-sensitive scales of Tmesisternus isabellae beetle and scattering light absorption of polydopamine, a porous one-dimensional PC sensor is constructed by combining ZIF-8 with TiO2@PDA nanoparticles. The PC sensor shows significant color changes under different concentrations of benzene vapor and reaches a detection limit of 0.8 g/m3. It has a response time of less than 1 s and maintains stable optical performance after 100 times of reuse. Moreover, ZIF-67 and ZIF-7 are both incorporated into the PCs for comparison; it reveals that ZIF-8 shows superior benzene detecting property. Additionally, the synergistic adsorption of VOCs in inner and outer holes of the ZIF-8 layer is demonstrated by real-time mass monitoring with quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. This study provides a valuable reference for the fabrication of high-quality MOF-based PC sensors and sensing mechanism study between microscopic molecular adsorption and macroscopic performance.

Biomass Derived, Hierarchically Porous, Activated Starbons® as Adsorbents for Volatile Organic Compounds.

The use of potassium hydroxide activated Starbons® derived from starch and alginic acid as adsorbents for 29 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was investigated. In every case, the alginic acid derived Starbon® (A800K2) was found to be the optimal adsorbent, significantly outperforming both commercial activated carbon and starch derived, activated Starbon® (S800K2). The saturated adsorption capacity of A800K2 depends on both the size of the VOC and the functional groups it contains. The highest saturated adsorption capacities were obtained with small VOCs. For VOC's of similar size, the presence of polarizable electrons in lone pairs or π-bonds within non-polar VOCs was beneficial. Analysis of porosimetry data suggests that the VOC's are being adsorbed within the pore structure of A800K2 rather than just on its surface. The adsorption was completely reversible by thermal treatment of the saturated Starbon® under vacuum.

Adsorption of volatile organic compounds on activated carbon with included iron phosphate

Adsorption of volatile organic compounds on activated carbon with included iron phosphate

Synthesis of corncob biochar with high surface area by KOH activation for VOC adsorption: effect of KOH addition method

AbstractBACKGROUNDCarbon materials have been regarded as valuable adsorbents for removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) owing to their high specific surface area and abundant pore structure. However, the complexity and high cost of the process used to treat the feedstock to produce commercial activated carbon has limited its application. In this reported study, a series of biochar materials was prepared using the KOH modification method employing corn cob as the raw material. The effects of different potassium hydroxide dosages, various activation temperatures and the activator addition method on the structure, physicochemical properties and VOC adsorption performance of the resulting biochars and their structure–activity relationship were systematically studied.RESULTSAdsorption performance tests and a series of characterization results showed that the CC‐3‐700 (corn cob/KOH = 1:3, T = 700 °C, two‐step dry mixing pyrolysis method) sample had highest toluene dynamic adsorption capacity (up to 573.5 mg g−1) compared to the other prepared samples. This result was attributed to the maximum specific surface area (2349 m2 g−1) and pore volume (1.22 cm3 g−1) of this sample. Moreover, the result suggested that the high specific surface area, abundant pore structure and highly disordered non‐graphitizable carbon in sample CC‐3‐700 were the major reasons for its excellent adsorption performance. The results of a multi‐component adsorption performance test showed that corn cob biochar had a strong adsorption capacity for toluene when simultaneously exposed to benzene and toluene.CONCLUSIONThe results of this study revealed that the corn cob biochar prepared using a two‐step roasting method offers good potential prospects for application in the field of VOC pollution control. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Enhanced Adsorption of Aromatic Volatile Organic Compounds on a Perchloro Covalent Triazine Framework through Multiple Intermolecular Interactions.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Especially, aromatic VOCs including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) are important indoor air pollutants. Developing highly efficient porous adsorbents with broad applicability remains a major challenge. In this study, a perchlorinated covalent-triazine framework (ClCTF-1-400) is prepared for adsorbing BTEX. ClCTF-1-400 is confirmed as a partially oxidized/chlorinated microporous covalent triazine framework through a variety of characterization. It is found that ClCTF-1-400 is reversible VOCs absorbent with very high absorption capacities, which can adsorb benzene (693mg g-1 ), toluene (621mg g-1 ), ethylbenzene (603mg g-1 ), o-xylene (500mg g-1 ), m-xylene (538mg g-1 ), and p-xylene (592mg g-1 ) at 25 °C and their saturated vapor pressure (≈ 1kPa). ClCTF-1-400 is of higher adsorption capacities for all selected VOCs than activated carbon and other reported adsorbents. The adsorption mechanism is also inferred through theoretical calculation and in-site Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The observed excellent BTEX adsorption performance is attributed to the multiple weak interactions between the ClCTF-1-400 frameworks and aromatic molecules through multiple weak interactions (CH… π and CCl… π). The breakthrough experiment demonstrates ClCTF-1-400 has the potential for real VOCs pollutant removal in air.

Activated carbon modified with polyethyleneimine and MgO: Better adsorption of aldehyde and production of regenerative VOC adsorbent using a photocatalyst

In this study, a renewable adsorbent containing a photocatalyst is developed that exhibits effective adsorption performance for polar volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are not well adsorbed by activated carbon (AC). AC is used as the basic adsorbent, and the surface of the AC is modified with polyethyleneimine (PEI) and magnesium oxide (MgO) for the effective adsorption of polar VOCs. In addition, a renewable VOC adsorbent and filter are demonstrated by introducing titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a photocatalyst to impart regeneration. The changes in the physical and chemical structures of the AC surface due to the modification with PEI and the loading of MgO and its effects are confirmed through scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. Developing slit pores containing polar functional groups on the AC through PEI deposition and loading MgO in the pore of AC increase the adsorption capacity of acetaldehyde by four times (3.08–13.8 mg g−1). In addition, PEI deposition shows high regeneration efficiency (86.4 %) with the application of TiO2. This study provides important insights into the development of renewable VOC filters that can be used for various VOCs.

Revealing the equilibrium relationship between lattice oxygen mobility and styrene removal: Sources of adsorption and activation by in situ experiments

Copper-manganese composite oxides have been extensively researched for the catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but there is little understanding of the adsorption and activation of VOCs over these compounds. In this work, a series of amorphous Cu-Mn binary oxides with varying Cu/Mn ratios were prepared to explore their catalytic performance and the species involved in the adsorption and activation of styrene (C8H8). It was found that Cu1Mn5Ox demonstrated better catalytic activity among the four samples, better stability and water resistance due to the presence of more structural flaws, weaker Mn-O bonds and more surface lattice oxygen species. In situ designed experiments showed that the adsorbed oxygen species, O2, lattice oxygen, and copper species all played roles in the adsorption and activation of C8H8 at low temperatures. The degradation route for C8H8 was revealed by in situ DRIFTS, and benzoic acid decomposition was identified as the rate-limiting step of C8H8 degradation. This work provides a novel technique for regulating the synergistic adsorption and catalytic ability of amorphous bimetallic oxides to remove VOCs.

Novel Graphene-Based Materials as a Tool for Improving Long-Term Storage of Cultural Heritage.

The very serious problem of temperature and humidity regulation, especially for small and medium-sized museums, galleries, and private collections, can be mitigated by the introduction of novel materials that are easily applicable and of low cost. Within this study, archive boxes with innovative technology are proposed as "smart" boxes that can be used for storage and transportation, in combination with a nanocomposite material consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and graphene oxide (GO). The synthesis and characterization of the PVA/GO structure with SEM, Raman, AFM, XRD, Optical Microscopy, and profilometry are fully discussed. It is shown that the composite material can be integrated into the archive box either as a stand-alone film or attached onto fitting carriers, for example, those made of corrugated board. By applying the PVA/GO membrane this way, even with strong daily temperature fluctuations of ΔT = ±24.1 °C, strong external humidity fluctuations can be reduced by -87% inside the box. Furthermore, these humidity regulators were examined as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) adsorbers since gas pollutants like formic acid, formaldehyde, acetic acid, and acetaldehyde are known to exist in museums and induce damages in the displayed or stored items. High rates of VOC adsorption have been measured, with the highest ones corresponding to formic acid (521% weight increase) and formaldehyde (223% weight increase).

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND METALS ADSORPTION CAPACITY OF WOOD BARK-BASED ACTIVATED CARBONS

This study was conducted to investigate the applicability of wood bark-based activated carbon (AC) for the adsorption of metal ions and volatile organic compounds (VOC) from the atmosphere. Contents of Fe and Al in the AC made with coconut shell, and the bark of larch and cork oak (CSA, LBA and COA, respectively) were higher than those of the unexposed AC and increased with the exposure to various indoor/outdoor spaces when compared to the unexposed AC. However, Fe and Al contents of the exposed AC, which is a coal-based one used as a control (SAA), were lower and scarcely higher than the unexposed SAA. From the results, it is evident that the wood bark-based AC examined in this study is more effective to adsorb metals than SAA. The SEM-EDS analysis exhibited prominent metal-adsorptivity of COA, although its total surface area and pore volume were lower than those of SAA. Total VOC-adsorptivity was the highest in COA followed by CSA, CBA (cypress bark activated carbon), LBA and SAA. In conclusion, wood bark-based AC can be utilized as an effective adsorbent for the removal of metals and VOC from the atmosphere. The optimum AC is COA, an industrial by-product, in view of the techno-economic aspect.

Polarity induced vapochromism and vapoluminescence of polythiophene derivatives for volatile organic compounds classification

Polarity induced vapochromic and vapoluminescent properties of cationic poly-3-alkoxythiophene derivatives (PT) casted on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes are reported. PT with six different pendant groups are designed to differentially interact with volatile organic compounds (VOC) of varying polarities, thereby enabling their classification. PT exhibit a rapid vapochromic response with a concurrent modulation of vapoluminescence due to the non-covalent cation-π interactions between the pendant groups and the PT backbone. Adsorption of VOC on pendant groups alters the conformation of PT backbone, thus resulting in an increase in intensity and blue shifting of fluorescence emission within the visible spectrum. The vapoluminescent responses are found to be more sensitive with a limit of detection (LOD) of ∼7 ppm and a wider dynamic range as compared to the vapochromic responses with a LOD of ∼60 ppm for the detection of a model VOC: chloroform. Notably, all the PT illustrate an instantaneous recovery of colour and luminescence upon desorption of VOC. PT interaction with VOC of varying polarities was ascertained using density functional theory (DFT) and principal component analysis (PCA) methodologies. In summary, the polarity induced vapochromic and vapoluminescent properties of PT could yield a selective and sensitive vapochromic and fluorometric dual-mode VOC detection platform.

Swellable Array Strategy Based on Designed Flexible Double Hypercross-linked Polymers for Synergistic Adsorption of Toluene and Formaldehyde.

High-capacity adsorption and removal of complex volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from real-world environments is a tough challenge for researchers. Herein, a swellable array adsorption strategy was proposed to realize the synergistic adsorption of toluene and formaldehyde on the flexible double hypercross-linked polymers (FD-HCPs). FD-HCPs exhibited multiple adsorption sites awarded by a hydrophobic benzene ring/pyrrole ring and a hydrophilic hydroxyl structural unit. The array benzene ring, hydroxyl, and pyrrole N sites in FD-HCPs effectively captured toluene and formaldehyde molecules through π-π conjugation and electrostatic interaction and weakened their mutual competitive adsorption. Interestingly, the strong binding force of toluene molecules to the skeleton deformed the pore structure of FD-HCPs and generated new adsorption microenvironments for the other adsorbate. This behavior significantly improved the adsorption capacity of FD-HCPs for toluene and formaldehyde by 20% under multiple VOCs. Moreover, the pyrrole group in FD-HCPs greatly hindered H2O molecule diffusion in the pore, thus efficiently weakening the competitive adsorption of H2O toward VOCs. These fascinating properties enabled FD-HCPs to achieve synergistic adsorption for multicomponent VOC vapor under a highly humid environment and overcame single-species VOC adsorption properties on state-of-the-art porous adsorbents. This work provides the practical feasibility of synergistic adsorption to remove complex VOCs in real-world environments.

High efficiency of toluene Ad-/Desorption on Thermal-conductive HKUST-1@BN nanosheets composite

Improving the adsorption capacity of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) will inevitably decrease the desorption efficiency and hence increase more energy-consumption, which has become a crucial challenging problem for MOFs modification and composition toward VOCs adsorption. Herein, a thermal-conductive composition strategy was proposed to anchor BN nanosheets (BNNS) into HKUST-1 crystals via “N/O-Cu-O” interface. The formed HKUST-1@BNNS composite maintained high surface area (1633.7 m2/g having more microporous) and enhanced heat diffusivity (1.8 times of HKUST-1), simultaneously. This enabled significant increase of toluene adsorption capacity on HKUST-1@BNNS up to 4.3 mmol/g (2.8 times of HKUST-1) at ultra-low pressure (P/P0 ≈ 0.001) and higher desorption rate of toluene (kds = 29.3 × 10−2, 4.0 times of HKUST-1) with lower desorption activation energy (Ed = 33.5 kJ/mol). Compared with many other state-of-the-art adsorbents (e.g., MOFs, zeolites and activated carbons), it has a much higher adsorption capacity and regeneration rate. Thus, thermal-conductive MOFs construction can be deemed as smart strategy to enhance adsorption efficiency and save desorption energy for VOCs capture.

Adsorption of Volatile Organic Compounds via Cellular Material Produced from Aluminum Dross

In this study, the aluminum dross collected in the production process of the aluminum smelting industry was used as the raw material for mixing with an alkaline solution to make aluminum hydroxide where aluminum was extracted by a titration procedure. When the pH value of the solution is 10~13, the crystal forms of the precipitation products are monoclinic and hexagonal, and the particle size is about 0.25~4 μm. To develop and establish a circular economy in the aluminum industry for aluminum smelting slag where aluminum hydroxide and alumina are environmentally friendly adsorption materials can help to solve environmental problems caused by waste, increase the life cycle of resources. Cellular material produced from aluminum dross are used to carry out the adsorption characteristics test of volatile organic compounds, and the average adsorption amounts for acetone and toluene were 1.20 and 1.87 μg/g, respectively. This cornerstone results had demonstrated the design and development of the expansion of resource-based adsorption materials can meet the needs of various industries.

MOFTextile: Metal‐organic frameworks nanosheets incorporated cotton textile for selective vapochromic sensing and capture of pyridine

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) improved several trends and are promising for industrial applications. However, current synthesis processes offer powder form, rendering their applications difficult. A simple solvothermal method offered an in situ growth of copper‐based MOFs, for example, CuBDC (BDC: benzene‐1,4‐dicarboxylic acid) into a cotton textile; the material was denoted as CuBDC@Textile. CuBDCTextile was used as a solid sensor and adsorbent for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It exhibited good vapochromic properties that enabled a colorimetric detection of pyridine (Py) via naked eyes with high selectivity and good sensitivity. Adsorption of pyridine via pervaporation using CuBDC@Textile was recorded. CuBDCTextile is a flexible textile with a high adsorption capacity (137.9 mg g−1) toward pyridine. It offered dual functional: sensor probe and adsorbent. The synthesis of CuBDC@Textile and their excellent performance as a sensor and adsorbent are promising for further investigation of the “MOFs on textile materials” topic.

High-silica FAU zeolite through controllable framework modulation for VOCs adsorption under high humidity

Although FAU zeolites have been widely used as absorbents for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal, preparation of high-silica FAU zeolite to expand its application under high humidity is still a big challenge. Here, two high-silica FAU zeolites were successfully prepared through the controllable framework modulation strategy. By carefully matching the degrees of dealumination and Si-insertion, the zeolite (FAU-H) with an ultra-high SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of 957 was obtained. FAU-H exhibited similar high adsorption capacities of VOCs (e.g. m-xylene and toluene) under dry and humid conditions, more importantly, its adsorption capacity of m-xylene was 25% higher than the industrial high-silica FAU zeolite (HSZ-390HUA) from Tosoh Corporation. When the dealumination degree was mismatched with that of Si-insertion, imperfect FAU-M (SiO2/Al2O3 = 108) with the existence of some defect sites was obtained that becomes a good candidate for the adsorption removal of small VOCs molecules (e.g. isopropanol). The moderate interaction between VOCs and zeolite framework is proved a key factor for small molecules adsorption on basis of the DFT calculations. Moreover, the fitted kinetic models, desorption tests, and adsorption−desorption cycling tests proved the good regenerability of FAU-H and FAU-M. Therefore, the proposed high-silica FAU zeolites are promising adsorbents for VOCs removal.

Catalytic ozonation of methylethylketone over porous Mn–Cu/HZSM-5

The catalytic ozonation of methylethylketone (MEK) was performed at the room temperature (25 °C) using the synthesized Mn and Cu-loaded zeolite (ZSM-5, SiO2/Al2O3 = 80) catalysts. The ZSM-5 zeolite was used as a porous support material due to the large surface area and high capacity for adsorption of volatile organic compounds. Since Mn and Cu-loaded zeolite catalysts were effective for the catalytic ozonation of VOCs such as MEK, according to the loaded concentration of Mn and Cu, there are four types of metal loaded ZSM5 catalysts synthesized [5 wt% Mn/ZSM-5, 5 wt% Cu/ZSM-5, 5 wt% Mn-1 wt% Cu/ZSM-5 (5Mn1CuZSM), and 5 wt% Cu-1 wt% Mn/ZSM-5]. The catalytic efficiency for the removal of MEK and ozonation using the different catalysts was also studied. Based on various experimental analysis processes, the characteristics of the synthesized catalysts were explored and the removal efficiencies of MEK and O3 together with the COx concentration generated from the destruction of MEK and O3 were explored. The results for the decomposition of MEK and O3 at the room temperature indicated that the Mn dominant ZSM-5 catalysts showed better efficiency for the conversion of MEK and O3. The 5 wt% Mn/ZSM-5 outweighed the rest of them for the removal of MEK while the 5Mn1CuZSM showed the best catalytic reactivity for the conversion of O3 and the CO2 selectivity. It was ascertained that during the reaction time of catalyst and reactants of 120 min the Mn dominantly deposited bimetallic catalyst, 5Mn1CuZSM, was determined as the most effective for the removal of MEK and O3 due to the high capability of production of Mn3+ species and more available adsorbed oxygen sites compared to the other catalysts. Finally, the durability measurement for the 5Mn1CuZSM catalyst was performed together with the produced CO and CO2 concentration for 420 min.

Stabilized Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Fibers for Advancements in Clean Air Technology

Particulate matter air pollution and volatile organic compounds released into the air from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and wildfires creates significant damage to human health and the environment. Advances in air filtration and purification technology are needed to mitigate aerosol hazards. This article details an effort to explore the potential benefits of new materials and methods for the production of nonwoven air filtration media through electrospinning and stabilizing polyacrylonitrile fibers. The investigated production methods include electrospinning fibrous matting onto a stainless steel wire mesh and stabilizing the nonwoven media in a chamber furnace. The media is then tested for air filtration penetration and airflow resistance, and the fiber size distribution is measured using scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results show that the electrospun media approaches the performance criteria for airflow resistance and particle capture efficiency of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter media. Furthermore, performance estimations for electrospun media of increased thickness and for a decreased filtration velocity show potential to exceed the HEPA media resistance and efficiency criteria. Thus, it is suggested that electrospun and stabilized nonwoven fibrous media are candidates as alternatives to traditionally manufactured HEPA media and may potentially benefit modern air filtration technology and reduce hazards associated with particulate matter. Additionally, the authors recommend future exploration into the carbonization and activation of electrospun filter media for the adsorption and mitigation of volatile organic compounds as a secondary benefit, while maintaining high efficiency and low airflow resistance in the removal of particulate matter from aerosol streams.