PAA@ZIF-8 incorporated nanofibrous membrane for high-efficiency PM2.5 capture

With growing concerns over air quality in many countries around the world, metal–organic frameworks are now being widely researched for its application in developing air filtration technology for PM2.5 removal. Our study reports the successful fabrication of a polyacrylic acid @zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 ([email protected]) membrane using electrospinning technology which shows great promise for PM2.5 filtration. Our [email protected] membrane had a small pore size at 0.5 µm with a porosity of 89.4%, and after modification by ZIF-8, the [email protected] membrane gained porous rough nanofibers, positive surface zeta potential, and high tensile strength. Our tests confirmed the [email protected] membrane’s high potential for PM2.5 filtration over commercial PVDF and electrospun PAA membranes, recording a PM2.5 retention rate of 99.6%. Besides its small pore size, the [email protected] membrane’s rough and porous nanofiber structure created a high BET surface area (344.9 m2/g) which physically adsorbs the PM2.5 particles. Additionally, we found that the positive surface zeta potential (67.3 mV at PH = 7) of the ZIF-8-coated nanofibers attracts negatively charged PM2.5 particles combined in air moisture, thereby further improving the PM2.5 filtration rate.