Multifunctional filter materials
Embodiments include a filter material including an electrospun nanofiber membrane and an active nanomaterial agent incorporated into the electrospun nanofiber membrane, wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane filters disease-causing agents and the wherein the active nanomaterial agent degrades disease-causing agents. Embodiments further include a face mask and/or respirator including a filter material, wherein the filter material includes an electrospun nanofiber membrane and an active nanomaterial agent incorporated into the electrospun nanofiber membrane, wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane filters disease-causing agents and the wherein the active nanomaterial agent degrades disease-causing agents.
1 . A filter material comprising:
an electrospun nanofiber membrane and active nanomaterial agents incorporated into the electrospun nanofiber membrane, wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane filters disease-causing agents, wherein the active nanomaterial agent degrades disease-causing agents, wherein the active nanomaterial agents comprise star anise, black seeds, and a mixture of glycerol monolaurate and zinc, and wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane has
a differential pressure of less than 80 Pa cm −2 .
2 . The filter material according to claim 1 , wherein the active nanomaterial agents further include one or more of tungsten oxide (WO 3 ), black seeds, star anise, glycerol monolaurate, zine, titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), zinc oxide (ZnO), Ag, silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), CuO, rGO/TiO 2 , Fe 3 O 4 , metal-organic framework, zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ), SnO 2 , aluminium oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), aluminium phosphate (AlPO 4 ), aluminium hydrogen phosphate (Al 2 (HPO 4 ) 3 ), aluminium dihydrogen phosphate (Al(H 2 PO 4 ) 3 ), calcium oxide (CaO), calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), calcium silicate (CaSiO 4 ), calcium phosphate (Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ), calcium hydrogen phosphate (CaHPO 4 ), calcium dihydrogen phosphate (Ca(H 2 PO 4 ), silicon nitride (SiN), silicon carbide (SiC), boron nitride (BN), tungsten carbide (WC), and titanium carbonitride (TiC 0.5 N 0.5 ).
3 . The filter material according to claim 1 , wherein the active nanomaterial agents further include tungsten oxide (WO 3 ) nanoparticles.
4 . The filter material according to claim 1 , wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane has a differential pressure of less than 65 Pa cm −2 .
5 . The filter material according to claim 1 , wherein the active nanomaterial agents are less than about 10% by weight of the total weight of the electrospun nanofiber membrane.
6 . The filter material according to claim 1 , wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane includes one or more of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl phenol (PVP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyvinylcarbazole, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polylactic acid (PLA), polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP), tetrahydro perfluorooctyl acrylate, silica, nanocrystalline cellulose, alginate, and polyethylene oxide (PEO).
7 . The filter material according to claim 1 , wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane includes poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP).
8 . The filter material according to claim 1 , wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane includes polylactic acid (PLA).
9 . The filter material according to claim 1 , wherein the filter material is derived from an electrospun solution including about 15 wt. % polymer based on the total weight of the solution, about 1-2 wt. % star anise based on the total weight of the polymer, about 1 wt. % black seeds based on the total weight of the polymer, and about 1-2 wt. % of the mixture of glycerol monolaurate and zinc based on the total weight of the polymer.
10 . The filter material according to claim 1 , wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane includes polylactic acid (PLA), and wherein the filter material as a whole is biocompatible, biodegradable, or both.
11 . The filter material according to claim 1 , wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane includes poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) and wherein the active nanomaterial agents include tungsten oxide (WO 3 ) nanoparticles.
12 . The filter material according to claim 1 , further comprising a polydopamine coating which covers at least a portion of a surface of the electrospun nanofiber membrane.
13 . The filter material according to claim 1 , wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane has the following characteristics:
an average pore diameter of about 1.7 μm or less;
a bacterial filtration efficiency of at least 95%;
and
a thickness of about 140 μm or less.
14 . The filter material according to claim 9 , wherein the polymer is polylactic acid (PLA).
15 . A method for preparing the filter material of claim 1 comprising:
combining the nanomaterial agents with one or more solvents to form a first solution,
mixing one or more polymers into the first solution to form a second solution, and
electrospinning the second solution to form the electrospun nanofiber membrane of the filter material.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein electrospinning lasts about 1 hour.
17 . The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more polymers includes polylactic acid (PLA) and wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane as a whole is biocompatible, biodegradable, or both.
18 . The method of claim 15 wherein the second solution comprises one or more polymers at about 15 wt. % based on the total weight of the solution, about 1-2 wt. % star anise based on the total weight of the one or more polymers, about 1 wt. % black seeds based on the total weight of the one or more polymers, and about 1-2 wt. % a combined mixture of glycerol monolaurate and zinc based on the total weight of the one or more polymers.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more polymers includes poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) and wherein the active nanomaterial agents include tungsten oxide (WO 3 ) nanoparticles.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the electrospun nanofiber membrane has a differential pressure of less than 65 Pa cm −2 .