Ambient fine particulate matter (PM) affects both human health and climate. This study shows the preparation of the ionic liquid polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers with superior PM2.5 capture capacity by introducing small volumes of highly viscous ionic liquid. The surface properties of the obtained PAN nanofibers have been modified by DEAP, which induced rough surface (i.e. adsorption sites) and improved hydrophilicity. The interlinked nanofibers membrane with desired "window" size and surface chemistry can effectively facilitate high affinity towards moisture-bound PM2.5 particles. By studying the PM2.5 capture performance of the samples in a typical static system, the PM2.5 capture capacity on the PAN/DEAP samples has been significantly improved compared to the bare PAN sample. These cost-effective and facile materials have potential applications in the field of PM2.5 removal devices and environmental protection systems.
ACS Applied Materials and Interface, doi: 10.1021/acsami.5b12313