In modern society, traffic and transportation and the manufacturing industry and construction industries continuously release large amounts of dust and particles into the atmosphere, which can cause heavy air pollution, leading to health hazards. The haze disaster, a serious problem in developing countries such as China and India, has become one of the main issues of global environmental pollution in recent decades. Many air filtration technologies have been developed. Air filtration using electrospun fibers that intercept fine particles/volatile organic gases/bacterium is a relatively new, but highly promising, technique. Due to their interconnected nanoscale pore structures, highly specific surface areas, fine diameters, and porous structure as well as their ability to incorporate active chemistry on a nanoscale surface, electrospun fibers are becoming a promising versatile platform for air filtration. In this review, following a short introduction concerning the need for air filtration and filtration theory and mechanism, electrospun nanofibers membranes for air filtration have been highlighted, including the preparation (electrospinning process) and the parameters relevant to filtration efficacy. Additionally, various types (function) of the electrospun air filtration membranes have been classified in detail. Furthermore, their potential in the filtration of fine particles and chemical pollutants has been discussed. Finally, the challenges of their practical application and the future prospects have been summarized. Given that some advanced electrospun air filtration nanofibrous membranes exist for treating different contaminants from various types of polluted atmosphere, it is believed that they should make a significant contribution in protection against air pollution.

A simple and efficient biphasic system with an earth-abundant metal salt catalyst was used to produce furfural from xylan with a high yield of up to 87.8 % under microwave conditions. Strikingly, the metal salt Al (SO ) exhibited excellent catalytic activity for xylan conversion, owing to a combination of Lewis and Brønsted acidity and its ability to promote good phase separation. The critical role of the SO anion was first analyzed, which resulted in the aforementioned characteristics when combined with the Al cation. The mixed solvent system with γ-valerolactone (GVL) as the organic phase provided the highest furfural yield, resulting from its good dielectric properties and dissolving capacity, which facilitated the absorption of microwave energy and promoted mass transfer. Mechanistic studies suggested that the xylan-to-furfural conversion proceeded mainly through a hydrolysis-isomerization-dehydration pathway and the hexa-coordinated Lewis acidic [Al(OH) (aq)] species were the active sites for xylose-xylulose isomerization. Detailed kinetic studies of the subreaction for the xylan conversion revealed that GVL regulates the reaction rates and pathways by promoting the rates of the key steps involved for furfural production and suppressing the side reactions for humin production. Finally, the Al (SO ) catalyst was used for the production of furfural from several lignocellulosic feedstocks, revealing its great potential for other biomass conversions.

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The catalytic transfer hydrogenation of furfural to the fuel additives 2-methylfuran (2-MF) and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF) was investigated over various bimetallic catalysts in the presence of the hydrogen donor 2-propanol. Of all the as-prepared catalysts, bimetallic Cu-Pd catalysts showed the highest catalytic activities towards the formation of 2-MF and 2-MTHF with a total yield of up to 83.9 % yield at 220 °C in 4 h. By modifying the Pd ratios in the Cu-Pd catalyst, 2-MF or 2-MTHF could be obtained selectively as the prevailing product. The other reaction conditions also had a great influence on the product distribution. Mechanistic studies by reaction monitoring and intermediate conversion revealed that the reaction proceeded mainly through the hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol, which was followed by deoxygenation to 2-MF in parallel to deoxygenation/ring hydrogenation to 2-MTHF. Finally, the catalyst showed a high reactivity and stability in five catalyst recycling runs, which represents a significant step forward toward the catalytic transfer hydrogenation of furfural.