Trap-Induced Dense Monocharged Perfluorinated Electret Nanofibers for Recyclable Multifunctional Healthcare Mask

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Increasing global health concerns from airborne viruses and particulate matter (PM) necessitate advanced personal protective equipment.
• Existing healthcare devices often lack efficiency in filtering ultrafine particles or integrating real-time monitoring capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel hybrid perfluorinated electret nanofibrous membrane (HPFM) for highly efficient ultrafine PM0.3 removal.
• To create a multifunctional healthcare mask integrating HPFM for simultaneous air filtration and wireless respiration monitoring.
• To assess the durability and reusability of the developed healthcare mask under various environmental conditions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a trap-induced dense monocharged hybrid perfluorinated electret nanofibrous membrane (HPFM).
• Integration of the HPFM into a nanogenerator for a multifunctional healthcare mask.
• Performance evaluation of the mask for PM0.3 removal efficiency, pressure drop, and quality factor.
• Testing of mask stability under high humidity (100% RH) and temperature (92 °C) conditions for 48 hours.
• Assessment of wireless real-time human respiration monitoring capabilities.

Main Results:

• The HPFM achieved an exceptional ultrafine PM0.3 removal efficiency of 99.712%.
• The filtration process exhibited a low pressure drop of 38.1 Pa and a high quality factor of 0.154 Pa⁻¹.
• The integrated nanogenerator enabled simultaneous PM0.3 filtering and wireless real-time respiration monitoring.
• The mask maintained stable performance even after 48 hours at 100% RH and 92 °C, indicating potential for reuse after disinfection.

Conclusions:

• The HPFM fabrication strategy offers a viable method for producing charge-rich, stable electret materials.
• The multifunctional mask design demonstrates significant potential for advanced personal protection and integrated health monitoring.
• The developed technology addresses the urgent need for effective and reusable healthcare devices in combating airborne health threats.