Enhanced air filtration performance under high-humidity condition through electrospun membranes with optimized structure

The separation stability under high-humidity is significant in practical applications for air filters. Herein, hydrophobic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) nanofiber filters with bead-on-string structure are designed to steadily remove particle matter under high relative humidity of 90%–95%. The developed hydrophobic filters possess comparable separation performance with the hydrophilic one, but greatly enhanced stability. After the introduction of bead-on-string structure, the filtration performance can be furtherly improved due to the formed large cavities and hydrophobicity. Such hydrophobic PVC filters can be promising candidates for air purification in practical applications especially in wet seasons.