The global covid pandemic has accentuated the importance of respiratory health, driving us to look for better solutions. Although traditional respirators and face masks are typically made from petroleum-based polymers like polypropylene or polyester, which unfortunately contribute to ecological damage since they can't be recycled naturally, an environmental alternative is needed that helps create a healthier world. Alternative biopolymer-based fibers offer a much more planet-friendly solution for mask manufacturing, which can be functionalized with proteins that increase their triboelectric properties even beyond what is reported in the literature. Here, we studied bioengineered material comprised of tandem repeat proteins and regenerated cellulose, which can be precisely tuned to generate an enhanced triboelectric charge. Our fibers are not only ideal for filters, but these specialized fibers also act as a promising component in energy systems and electronics, which has the potential for maintaining a sustainable circular economy by biomanufactured fibers.
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