Antibacterial biodegradable nanofibrous membranes by hybrid needleless electrospinning for high-efficiency particulate matter removal

Particulate matters (PMs) seriously threaten people’s health. Nanofibrous filters exhibit the great potential to stop PMs from being breathed into the respiratory system. Here, cellulose acetate/quaternary chitosan (CA/Q-CS) composite nanofibrous membranes were fabricated via a novel hybrid needleless electrospinning technique. The first layer of the CA nanofibrous membrane was generated as the supporting part by a rotary cylinder spinneret, while the second layer of the Q-CS nanofibrous membrane was fabricated via a rotary coil spinneret. The aggregate structure transition from 2D to 3D could be regulated by controlling the repulsive gap between two spinnerets. The CA/Q-CS composite nanofibrous air filter has a high filtration efficiency (96.4% for PM0.3, 99.9% for PM1.0, and 100% for PM2.5), and low air resistance (48 Pa). Meanwhile, these nanofibrous air filters exhibit excellent biodegradability in various environments and high antibacterial performance (98.27 ± 0.45% for E. coli, 98.65 ± 0.26% for S. aureus). This work provides a novel thought for the industrial production of biodegradable and antibacterial nanofibrous high-performance air filters.