Electrospinning of Nanofibrous Membrane and Its Applications in Air Filtration: A Review

Air pollution caused by particulate matter and toxic gases is violating individual’s health and safety. Nanofibrous membrane, being a reliable filter medium for particulate matter, has been extensively studied and applied in the field of air purification. Among the different fabrication approaches of nanofibrous membrane, electrospinning is considered as the most favorable and effective due to its advantages of controllable process, high production efficiency, and low cost. The electrospun membranes, made of different materials and unique structures, exhibit good PM2.5 filtration performance and multi-functions, and are used as masks and filters against PM2.5. This review presents a brief overview of electrospinning techniques, different structures of electrospun nanofibrous membranes, unique characteristics and functions of the fabricated membranes, and summarization of the outdoor and indoor applications in PM filtration.