A protein-functionalized microfiber/protein nanofiber Bi-layered air filter with synergistically enhanced filtration performance by a viable method

Liu, Juejing; Dunne, Francis; Fan, Xin; Fu, Xuewei; Zhong, Wei‐Hong

doi:10.1016/j.seppur.2019.115837

Cited by 40 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The intrinsic properties of hydrophobic proteins, like zein, make them potential agents for the functionalization of textiles to impart specific functions, namely hydrophobicity and antimicrobial activity. This protein has already demonstrated, by combining zein micro-and nanofibers, potentiality to produce functionalized cotton textiles for air filtration [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zein impart hydrophobic and antimicrobial properties to cotton textiles

Gonçalves

Torres

Silva

et al. 2020

Reactive and Functional Polymers

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In this work, zein, a by-product of the agricultural industry of corn, was used to impart hydrophobicity and antimicrobial activity to textiles. The cotton textiles were functionalized with zein in two different forms, free or as particles. The optimized coating conditions which rendered the highest hydrophobic character to the textiles were found to be 50 g/L zein in the free form prepared with 70% ethanol. To enhance the antimicrobial activity of the coated textiles, ellagic acid was encapsulated into the zein particles. These presented stable diameters, between 300 and 450 nm, and positive surface charge revealing high encapsulation efficiency. After textiles coating, the controlled release of ellagic acid was tested against different mimetic biologic solutions. The release profile was dependent on the ethanol concentration, on the sweat solution pH and on the external media used during dialysis. The functionalized textiles revealed differentiated antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive). For E. coli the activity was mainly related with the action of zein while for S. aureus a combined effect between the protein and the ellagic acid was observed. The results herein presented pave the way for the development of new zein-based products for a wide range of applications.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zein impart hydrophobic and antimicrobial properties to cotton textiles

Gonçalves

Torres

Silva

et al. 2020

Reactive and Functional Polymers

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“…Compared to microfibers, nanofibers have larger surface areas and highly versatile permeability, porosity, and stability. 2 Nanofibers can be fabricated from several different kinds of biopolymers in order to create nanofibers with properties for specific applications while maintaining the benefits of nanofibers. As examples, Figure 4 shows scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of nanofibers created for filtering applications fabricated from (a) silk, (b) corn zein, (c) soy protein, (d) starch, (e) chitosan, and (f) cellulose.…”

Section: Fabrication Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Often, filters are created from layered materials in order to improve their efficacy. 2 Maintaining a low pressure drop through the filter is a critical property of face mask filters that the aforementioned materials are able to accomplish. In short, the pressure drop, Δ P , is the change in pressure before ( P x ) and after ( P y ) filtration through the material.…”

Section: Filtration Principles Of Biopolymersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 1 In addition, their applications in filtering have received increasing attention in the past decade. 2 For biopolymers to be useful in filter applications, they should exhibit certain desirable physical and chemical properties that are important for absorption and the elimination of specific chemical contaminants or provide bactericidal or viricidal functionality. The wide range of functional groups available in proteins and polysaccharides allows for highly selective filtration for pollutants and other contaminants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Biopolymer-Based Filtration Materials

et al. 2021

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Biobased materials such as cellulose, chitin, silk, soy, and keratin are attractive alternatives to conventional synthetic materials for filtration applications. They are cheap, naturally abundant, and easily fabricated with tunable surface chemistry and functionality. With the planet’s increasing crisis due to pollution, the need for proper filtration of air and water is undeniably urgent. Additionally, fibers that are antibacterial and antiviral are critical for public health and in medical environments. The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the necessity for cheap, easily mass-produced antiviral fiber materials. Biopolymers can fill these roles very well by utilizing their intrinsic material properties, surface chemistry, and hierarchical fiber morphologies for efficient and eco-friendly filtration of physical, chemical, and biological pollutants. Further, they are biodegradable, making them attractive as sustainable, biocompatible green filters. This review presents various biopolymeric materials generated from proteins and polysaccharides, their synthesis and fabrication methods, and notable uses in filtration applications.

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“…The photocatalytic activity of the composite membrane was two times that of PAN nanofiber. Liu, Dunne, Fan, Fu, and Zhong (2019) studied the treatment of air using bi‐layered air filter and demonstrated >99.0% filtration efficiency for both particulates and toxic gases with low‐pressure decline. Sun and Leung (2019) investigated the removal of nano‐sized aerosol using PVDF multi‐layer filters and reposted that nanofiber membrane filtration was more efficient than microfiber filter and exhibited low‐pressure decline over 90 days.…”

Section: Physical Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%