Cross-Linked Protein Nanofilter with Antibacterial Properties for Multifunctional Air Filtration.

Souzandeh, Hamid; Molki, Banafsheh; Zheng, Min; Beyenal, Haluk; Scudiero, Louis; Wang, Yu; Zhong, Wei-Hong

Development of high-performance nanomaterials with not only strong ability to trap the pollutants but also good structure stability under varying environmental conditions is a critical need for air-filtration applications. However, it has been very challenging for a filtering material to simultaneously realize multifunctional air filtration and good environmental stability. Here, based on our previous studies on protein-based nanofilters, we report a cross-linked protein nanofabric to address this challenging issue. It is found that cross-linked protein nanofabrics can significantly improve the structure stability against different moisture levels and temperatures, while maintaining the multifunctional filtration performance. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the cross-linked protein nanomaterials also possess antibacterial properties, such as Shewanella oneidensis bacteria, further improving the environmental stability. The effects of cross-linking with different loadings of cross-linking agent on the structure stability and filtration performance are further investigated at different humidity levels and temperatures. This study provides a cost-effective solution for advanced "green" nanomaterials with excellent performance in both filtration functions and structure stability under varying environment.