Face masks are increasingly important in the battle against infectious diseases and air pollution. Nanofibrous membranes (NFMs) are promising filter layers for removing particulate matter (PM) without restricting air permeability. In this study, tannic-acid-enriched poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA-TA) NFMs were fabricated by electrospinning PVA solutions containing large amounts of tannic acid (TA), a multifunctional polyphenol compound. We were able to prepare uniform electrospinning solution without coacervate formation by inhibiting the robust hydrogen bonding between PVA and TA. Notably, the NFM maintained its fibrous structure even under moist conditions after heat treatment without the use of a cross-linking agent. Further, the mechanical strength and thermal stability of the PVA NFM were improved by the introduction of TA. The functional PVA NFM with a high TA content showed excellent UV-shielding (UV-A: 95.7%, UV-B: 100%) and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (inhibition zone: 8.7 ± 1.2 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (inhibition zone: 13.7 ± 0.6 mm). Moreover, the particle filtration efficiency of the PVA-TA NFM for PM0.6 particles was 97.7% at 32 L min-1 and 99.5% at 85 L min-1, indicating excellent filtration performance and a low pressure drop. Therefore, the TA-enriched PVA NFM is a promising mask filter layer material with excellent UV-blocking and antibacterial properties and has the potential for various practical applications.
Keywords: facial mask; filtration; nanofibrous membrane; poly(vinyl alcohol); tannic acid.