Electrospinning Machine | A versatile electrospinning polyacrylonitrile nanofiber membrane integrated with S-scheme heterojunction for indoor air filtration, disinfection, and photocatalytic degradation of pollutants

With the continuous improvement of modern living standards, the pollution crisis continues to threaten the ecosystem and human health, requiring advanced remediation solutions. Currently, photocatalytic technology has become one of the most promising environmental remediation methods but faces serious limitations. Particle aggregation and charge recombination hinder the migration of photogenerated carriers, leading to a decrease in photocatalytic efficiency. Therefore, the rational design of heterojunction photocatalysts through interface engineering and precise optimization of charge transfer pathways provides a robust method for improving photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, with the help of electrospinning technology, forming the heterojunction photocatalyst with nanofiber membranes makes it promising for practical applications. 

Recently, a team led by Wang Bin from the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology published their latest research titled "A versatile electrospinning polyacrylonitrile nanofiber membrane integrated with S-scheme heterojunction for indoor air filtration, disinfection, and photocatalytic degradation of pollutants" in the journal Separation and Purification Technology. The researchers first synthesized an S-scheme heterojunction Ag₃PO₄-BiVO₄@halloysite nanotube (HNTs) photocatalyst. Furthermore, using electrospinning technology, the prepared S-scheme heterojunction was blended into the nanofiber membrane to enhance the practical applicability of the powdered photocatalyst. Under visible light irradiation, the fabricated Ag₃PO₄-BiVO₄@HNTs/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite nanofiber membrane achieved a photodegradation rate of 47.3% for formaldehyde, demonstrated significant antibacterial properties, and exhibited excellent photodegradation performance for ciprofloxacin. The membrane also showed outstanding PM₀.₃ filtration efficiency (99.3% at 32 L/min airflow) and an ultra-low pressure drop (54.6 Pa). Given the multifunctionality of the composite membrane, this work provides new insights for the design and development of multifunctional photocatalytic membranes aimed at removing indoor air pollutants (PM₀.₃, formaldehyde, bacteria/viruses) and water pollutants (such as antibiotics).

Figure 1: Preparation process and expected practical application diagram

Figure 2： Microstructure characterization

Figure 3： Air filtration performance and mechanism

Figure 4： Photocatalytic degradation performance

This work constructed a multifunctional composite membrane by blending the S-scheme heterojunction into polyacrylonitrile nanofibers via electrospinning technology for indoor air purification and photocatalytic degradation of water pollutants. This multifunctional membrane is expected to find applications in indoor air purification and water pollution treatment.

 Paper link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2025.134488