Fabrication of Antibacterial Ag/Graphene-Integrated Non-woven Polypropylene Textile for Air Pollutant Filtering

Abstract

Air pollution and infectious diseases (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) have attracted considerable attention from governments and scientists worldwide to find the best solutions to address these issues. In this study, a new simultaneous antibacterial and particulate matter (PM) filtering Ag/graphene-integrated non-woven polypropylene textile was fabricated by simply immersing the textile into a Ag/graphene-containing solution. The Ag/graphene nanocomposite was prepared by reducing Ag ions on the surface of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) using the leaf extract. The prepared Ag/graphene textile was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), and contact angle measurements. The results showed excellent integration of the Ag/GNP nanocomposite into the non-woven polypropylene textile matrix. The prepared textile exhibited superhydrophobicity with a contact angle of 152°. The maximum PM removal percentage of the Ag/GNP-integrated textile was determined to be 98.5% at an Ag/GNP content of 1.5% w/w and a silicon adhesive of 1% w/w. The Ag/GNP textile exhibited high antibacterial activity toward Escherichia coli with no sign of bacteria on the surface. Remarkably, the as-prepared Ag/GNP textile was highly durable and stable and could be reused many times after washing. Graphical Abstract

The Enhanced Durability of AgCu Nanoparticle Coatings for Antibacterial Nonwoven Air Conditioner Filters

“…Despite this appearing interesting for actual application, its cost may be too high. La et al [ 53 ] recently reported an Ag/graphene-integrated nonwoven polypropylene filter, which is prepared by reducing Ag ions on the surface of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) using plant extract. Shiu et al [ 54 ] developed a new filter prepared by Ag@ZIF-8@PP melt-blown nonwoven fabrics with higher air filtration and antibacterial efficacy.…”