High-performance particulate matter including nanoscale particle removal by a self-powered air filter

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 1653 - 10
• Main Authors: Zhang, Guo-Hao, Zhu, Qiu-Hong, Zhang, Lei, Yong, Fang, Zhang, Zhang, Wang, Shuang-Long, Wang, You, He, Ling, Tao, Guo-Hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 03.04.2020; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 140/131; 140/133; 147/135; 639/638/169/896; 639/638/224/685; 639/638/224/907; 639/638/298/917; 704/172/169/896; Air Filters; Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollution - analysis; Composite materials; Efficiency; Electric cells; Electrochemical analysis; Electrochemistry; Environmental Restoration and Remediation - methods; Humanities and Social Sciences; Ionic liquids; Lithium; Lithium batteries; Low voltage; Masks; multidisciplinary; Nanoparticles - analysis; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Particulate Matter - analysis; Pollutants; Polymers; Protective equipment; Public health; Purification; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Solar energy; Solar panels
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15502-7

Particulate matter (PM) pollutants, including nanoscale particles (NPs), have been considered serious threats to public health. In this work, a self-powered air filter that can be used in high-efficiency removal of PM, including NPs, is presented. An ionic liquid–polymer (ILP) composite is irregularly distributed onto a sponge network to form an ILP@MF filter. Enabled by its unique electrochemical properties, the ILP@MF filter can remove PM 2.5 and PM 10 with high efficiencies of 99.59% and 99.75%, respectively, after applying a low voltage. More importantly, the charged ILP@MF filter realizes a superior removal for NPs with an efficiency of 93.77%. A micro-button lithium cell or silicon-based solar panel is employed as a power supply platform to fabricate a portable and self-powered face mask, which exhibits excellent efficacy in particulate removal compared to commercial masks. This work shows a great promise for high-performance purification devices and facile mask production to remove particulate pollutants. Particulate matter (PM) pollutants have been considered serious threats to public health but effective removal of nanoscale particles (NPs) by filter materials is challenging. Here, the authors fabricate an ionic liquid based self-powered air filter that can be used in high-efficiency removal of PM, including NPs.