Bioinspired Structures Made of Silicone Nanofilaments for Upcycling Waste Masks to Reusable N95 Respirators

Abstract

The increasing demand for personal protective equipment such as single-use masks has led to large amounts of nondegradable plastic waste, aggravating economic and environmental burdens. This study reports a simple and scalable approach for upcycling waste masks via a chemical vapor deposition technique, realizing a trichome-like biomimetic (TLB) N95 respirator with superhydrophobicity (water contact angle ≥150°), N95-level protection, and reusability. The TLB N95 respirator comprising templated silicone nanofilaments with an average diameter of ∼150 nm offers N95-level protection and breathability comparable to those of commercial N95 respirators. The TLB N95 respirator can still maintain its N95-level protection against particulate matter and viruses after 10 disinfection treatment cycles (i.e., ultraviolet irradiation, microwave irradiation, dry heating, and autoclaving), demonstrating durable reusability. The proposed strategy provides new insight into upcycle waste masks, breaking the existing design and preparation concept of reusable masks.

Unique Fluorescence of Aggregation-Induced Emission Luminogens on Solid Surfaces Modified by Silicone Nanofilaments

“…Silicone nanofilament (SNF) coatings are renowned for their exceptional water repellency and can be applied as perfectly transparent coatings with a high internal surface area on various technically important materials such as glass, polymers, and metalseven if the substrates have complex shapeswhile allowing easy modification of their surface chemical environment. , These characteristics make SNF an ideal choice for dispersing AIEgens on solid surfaces.…”