Robust, Antibacterial, and Superhydrophobic Pei/Fas/F-Zif67 Nanofibrous Membranes as Effective Barriers to Hazardous Aerogel/Liquid

Airbone contmaination can have significant detrimental consequences on the ecological environment and human life, as witnessed in the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Filtration has been one of the most effective approaches for removing the airbone contaminants such as particulate matters and pathgens. However, it remains challenging to develop membranes with high air filtration performance, liquid barrier property, and antibacterial activities. Herein, a robust multifunctional PEI/FAS/F-ZIF67 nanofibrous membrane at a fluffy and recoverable fiber stack was designed and prepared through a one-step electrospinning process. Because of the synergistic effect, F-ZIF67 nanoparticles and FAS endowed superhydrophobicity to the PEI membrane with a water contact angle WCA of 155° and an enhanced antibacterial activity with efficiency of over 99%. Owing to its fluffy structure, the PEI/FAS membrane exhibited a high air filtration efficiency of 99.99% with a very low pressure drop of only 85 Pa. Furthermore, benefiting from the heat resistance of PEI, the composite membrane can withstand high temperatures of up to 200 °C without changing the original fluffy fibrous structure and functionality. Such a composite nanofiber membrane can be used as high-efficient filtration and protective material even in severe conditions such as high temperature or high humidity environment. Overall, the proposed PEI/FAS/F-ZIF67 composite membrane has the potential to be widely applied in practice for air purification and medical protection.