Towards green filtration: Thyme-based antibacterial nanofiber media as alternatives to synthetic counterparts

IF 1.9 Q2 MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES

MethodsX Pub Date : 2025-06-21 DOI:10.1016/j.mex.2025.103459

Zahra Shafiei , Farideh Golbabei , Mohammad Reza Pourmand , Ensieh Masoorian , Mohammad Mehdi Shirmohammadi , Kamal Azam , Vida Shahbazian , Saba Kalantary

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study presents a comparative strategy for incorporating natural and synthetic antibacterial agents into electrospun nanofiber media for face mask applications, addressing concerns over toxicity and environmental impact. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers containing thyme extract (5,20, 40, 60 wt %) and ZIF-8 (5,7, 10, 15 wt %) were fabricated and characterized. Morphological analysis confirmed uniform, bead-free nanofibers with diameters ranging from 207.5 to 234.2 nm and membrane thicknesses around 150 µm. FTIR and XRD results verified the successful integration and chemical interaction of additives with the PAN matrix. Filtration performance tests revealed that thyme-based nanofibers (40 wt %) achieved 96.83 % particle filtration efficiency (PFE) at 0.3 µm, 100 % bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE), and a low pressure drop of 20.33 Pa. ZIF-8 nanofibers (7 wt %) showed 96.58 % PFE and 96.06 % BFE with a slightly higher pressure drop (25 Pa). Time-kill assays indicated stronger antibacterial activity for thyme over ZIF-8 during a 4-hour period. Compared to commercial melt-blown filters, both types of nanofibers provided improved filtration with acceptable breathability. The results suggest that thyme-loaded nanofibers offer a safe, biodegradable alternative to synthetic agents like ZIF-8, though further studies on durability, scalability, and long-term performance are needed.

•
Thyme extract demonstrated superior antibacterial and filtration performance compared to ZIF-8.
•
Electrospun nanofibers significantly outperformed melt-blown media in filtration efficiency.
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The study supports natural compounds as sustainable, non-toxic alternatives for face mask applications.

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迈向绿色过滤：百里香抗菌纳米纤维介质作为合成材料的替代品

本研究提出了一种将天然和合成抗菌剂掺入静电纺纳米纤维介质中用于面罩的比较策略，解决了对毒性和环境影响的担忧。制备了含有百里香提取物（5、20、40、60 wt %）和ZIF-8（5、7、10、15 wt %）的聚丙烯腈（PAN）纳米纤维，并对其进行了表征。形态学分析证实了均匀、无珠的纳米纤维直径在207.5到234.2 nm之间，膜厚度在150µm左右。FTIR和XRD结果验证了添加剂与PAN基体的成功结合和化学相互作用。过滤性能测试表明，百里香基纳米纤维（40 wt %）在0.3µm处达到96.83%的颗粒过滤效率（PFE）， 100%的细菌过滤效率（BFE），低压降为20.33 Pa。ZIF-8纳米纤维（7 wt %）的PFE和BFE分别为96.58%和96.06%，压降略高（25 Pa）。时间杀伤实验表明，ZIF-8对百里香的抑菌活性在4小时内较强。与商用熔喷过滤器相比，两种类型的纳米纤维都提供了可接受的透气性的改进过滤。结果表明，装载百里香的纳米纤维提供了一种安全的、可生物降解的替代品，可以替代像ZIF-8这样的合成剂，尽管还需要进一步研究其耐久性、可扩展性和长期性能。•与ZIF-8相比，百里香提取物具有优越的抗菌和过滤性能。•静电纺纳米纤维的过滤效率明显优于熔喷介质。•该研究支持天然化合物作为可持续的、无毒的面膜替代品。

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