Posted by This study reports gelatin/β–cyclodextrin composite nanofiber mats with dual function air filtration ability (particulate matter as well as volatile organics are filtered out) at reduced air resistance (148 Pa) and low basis weight (1 g/m²). Gelatin/β–cyclodextrin nanofibers captured aerosols (0.3–5 μm) with < 95% filtration efficiency at 0.029/Pa quality factor. They adsorbed great amount of xylene (287 mg/g), benzene (242 mg/g), and formaldehyde (0.75 mg/g) VOCs. VOC adsorption of gelatin/β–cyclodextrin nanofibers is found several times higher than a commercial face mask and pristine powder samples. This study provides a solution for a ‘green’ dual function respiratory air filtration at low resistance. The biodegradable gelatin/β–cyclodextrin nanofibers also have the potential to filter the nano-sized pandemic virus.
Kadam, V., Truong, Y.B., Shutz, J., Kyratzis, I.L., Padhye, R., Wang, L.: Gelatin/β–Cyclodextrin Bio–Nanofibers as Respiratory Filter Media for Filtration of Aerosols and Volatile Organic Compounds at Low Air Resistance. Journal of Hazardous Materials 2020, 123841, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123841