MOF-808 on Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibers for Degradation of Chemical Warfare Agents

Highly efficient and reusable protective materials for chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are in high demand. Here, we used a surface modification technique to develop a material that provides chemical protection. Using an electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membrane as the substrate, we modified the surface of the nanofiber with dopamine hydrochloride, which self-polymerized to form a polydopamine (PDA) surface layer, onto which we loaded metal–organic framework (MOF-808) particles. The presence of PDA on the surface of the PAN nanofibers significantly increased the breaking strength (2-fold increase) and elongation (9-fold increase) of the nanofiber membrane. Moreover, the PDA functionalities formed coordination sites to trigger the in situ growth of MOF-808 particles on the surface of the nanofiber membrane, thereby considerably increasing the growth rate and loading capacity. The surface of the nanofiber membrane was completely covered with MOF-808 particles following solvothermal treatment for 16 h. The MOF-808/PAN/PDA composite membrane could rapidly degrade 99.9% of dimethyl-4-nitrophenyl phosphate to p-nitrophenol within 8 min. After the membrane was used several times, the conversion rate stabilized at 95.9%, indicating that the MOF-808/PAN/PDA composite membrane has significant potential for application as protective clothing for CWAs.