Preparation of a polyacrylonitrile/polyurethane nanofibrous membrane with antibacterial function and measurement of its air filtration performance

Abstract

Particulate matter and airborne microorganism pollution are two of the most serious indoor air problems due to their significant threat to human health. Research on air filtration with antibacterial function and good filtration performance is highly desirable and urgent. In this study, polyacrylonitrile/polyurethane (PAN/PU) composite nanofibrous membranes with an antibacterial agent AgTiO2 were prepared by an electrospinning method. The average diameter of each membrane is about 300–400\u2009nm. The antibacterial activities of PAN/PU composite nanofibrous membranes against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were investigated by the shake flask method. For an Ag2.5 membrane (AgTiO2 added to 2.5% w/w of solute (PAN and PU) in the electrospinning solution), the bacteriostasis rate can be >99.99%. The filtration efficiency is 99.88% for 0.3\u2009µm particles and >99.99% for airborne microorganisms with a 220.3 Pa pressure differential. The quality factor is higher than that of a commercial filter with comparable filtration efficiency. The effects of relevant parameters on filtration performance were analysed qualitatively by theoretical calculation. The results show that it is more effective to improve the filtration performance by adjusting fibre diameter and filling rate than thickness. Our findings suggest that the nanofibrous membrane with antibacterial function has a great potential for indoor air filtration.