Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Upscaling of Electrospinning Technology and the Application of Functionalized PVDF-HFP@TiO2 Electrospun Nanofibers for the Rapid Photocatalytic Deactivation of Bacteria on Advanced Face Masks

Researchers developed electrospun nanofiber membranes made from PVDF-HFP polymer combined with titanium dioxide for use in advanced face masks with photocatalytic antibacterial properties. The study demonstrated that these functionalized nanofiber filters effectively deactivated bacteria while maintaining high filtration performance, offering a potential alternative to conventional mask materials.

2023 Polymers 8 citations
Review Tier 2

A comprehensive review on antimicrobial face masks: an emerging weapon in fighting pandemics

This review examines the development of antimicrobial face masks designed to fight pandemics, including coatings that can neutralize viruses and bacteria on contact. While these advanced masks offer improved protection, the study also raises concerns about microplastic fibers and chemical additives that may be released during use, adding to environmental and health concerns.

2021 RSC Advances 157 citations
Article Tier 2

Fabrication of microplastic-free biomass-based masks: Enhanced multi-functionality with all-natural fibers

Researchers developed a new biodegradable face mask made entirely from natural plant and animal fibers, eliminating the microplastic shedding associated with conventional disposable masks. The mask achieved 95.9% filtration efficiency, strong antibacterial performance against common bacteria, and could even detect ammonia levels in breath for health monitoring. This microplastic-free design offers a more sustainable alternative to standard surgical masks.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Viruses and Bacteria – Antiviral and Antibacterial Textile Materials: A Review

This review examines the development of antiviral and antibacterial textiles and masks designed to protect human health during pandemics. The paper surveys different antimicrobial agents and manufacturing methods, focusing on specifications that make these protective materials effective against both viruses and bacteria.

2024 Tekstilec 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanotechnology-Enhanced Face Masks: Future Scopes and Perspectives

This review assessed nanotechnology-based approaches for creating reusable face masks, motivated by the massive single-use mask waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nano-enhanced masks with antimicrobial and self-cleaning properties were identified as a promising path toward reducing both environmental contamination and pathogen transmission.

2022 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 10 citations
Review Tier 2

Electrospun nanofiber-based respiratory face masks—a review

Researchers reviewed advances in face mask materials during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on electrospun nanofiber membranes with nano-sized pores that offer high filtration efficiency at low weight, and highlighting the integration of metal-organic frameworks, graphene, and 3D-printing as pathways to multifunctional and reusable mask designs.

2022 Emergent Materials 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Face masks and respirators: Towards sustainable materials and technologies to overcome the shortcomings and challenges

This review examines the limitations of current face masks and respirators, including low filtration efficiency and non-biodegradability, and explores sustainable materials and emerging technologies such as nanofibers and biodegradable polymers to address these shortcomings.

2022 Nano Select 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficacy Evaluation of Cu- and Ag-Based Antibacterial Treatments on Polypropylene Fabric and Comparison with Commercial Products

Researchers evaluated copper- and silver-based antibacterial treatments on polypropylene fabric for reusable filter masks, comparing their efficacy against commercial products to address the environmental burden of disposable face masks.

2023 Coatings 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Antiviral/antibacterial biodegradable cellulose nonwovens as environmentally friendly and bioprotective materials with potential to minimize microplastic pollution

Biodegradable cellulose nonwoven materials incorporating antiviral and antibacterial agents were developed as a sustainable alternative to polypropylene face masks, demonstrating comparable filtration performance with significantly faster environmental degradation, reducing the microplastic pollution burden of disposable PPE.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Viruses and Their Penetration Through Fibrous Structures: a Review

This review examines how viruses interact with and penetrate fibrous structures such as face masks and respirators, analyzing the filtration mechanisms and material properties that determine the protective efficacy of textile barriers against airborne viral transmission.

2023 Fibres and Textiles
Article Tier 2

Aerosol Filtration Testing of Fabrics for Development of Reusable Face Masks

Researchers tested the aerosol filtration performance of over 300 fabrics and layered fabric combinations for use as reusable face masks, finding that layered materials and hydrophobic coatings significantly improve filtration efficiency while maintaining breathability. The work provides practical guidance for designing effective non-disposable masks — an important consideration given that disposable mask waste, including microplastic-releasing synthetic fibers, became a major pollution concern during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021 Aerosol and Air Quality Research 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Antibacterial Activity and Protection Efficiency of Polyvinyl Butyral Nanofibrous Membrane Containing Thymol Prepared through Vertical Electrospinning

Researchers fabricated polyvinyl butyral nanofibrous membranes containing thymol as a natural antimicrobial agent via electrospinning and demonstrated effective antibacterial activity against common pathogens, proposing the material as a safer, biodegradable alternative to synthetic antimicrobial face masks.

2021 Polymers 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Antibacterial/Antiviral Face Masks: Processing, Characteristics, Challenges, and Sustainability

This review examines the development of antibacterial and antiviral face masks — including the materials, processing methods, and antimicrobial agents used — and discusses sustainability challenges associated with mask disposal. It is tangentially relevant to microplastics because single-use masks are now recognized as a significant emerging source of microplastic and nanoparticle pollution when they fragment in the environment, though this paper focuses primarily on mask performance and design rather than their pollution impact.

2023 MIST INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1 citations
Review Tier 2

A Critical Review on Reusable Face Coverings: Mechanism, Development, Factors, and Challenges

This review evaluated reusable face coverings as alternatives to disposable masks, examining filtration mechanisms, material developments, and key challenges including microplastic fiber shedding from textile-based coverings during use and washing.

2023 Textiles 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Superhydrophobic Surface Modification for Enhanced Fabric Face Masks: The Impact of Varying HDTMS Concentrations

Researchers coated fabric face masks with a water-repelling chemical to improve virus-blocking performance while remaining reusable. The treated masks showed better protection than standard cloth masks, offering a more environmentally responsible alternative to disposable surgical masks that contribute to plastic pollution.

2023 International Journal of Advanced Natural Sciences and Engineering Researches
Article Tier 2

Needleless electrospun phytochemicals encapsulated nanofibre based 3-ply biodegradable mask for combating COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers developed a three-layer biodegradable face mask combining cotton outer layers with a polylactic acid nanofibrous filtration layer infused with plant-derived antimicrobials, achieving 97.9% bacterial filtration efficiency and demonstrating biodegradation in a microbial slurry — offering a potential eco-friendly alternative to single-use synthetic masks.

2021 Chemical Engineering Journal 113 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanocellulose-based membrane as a potential material for high performance biodegradable aerosol respirators for SARS-CoV-2 prevention: a review

Researchers reviewed nanocellulose-based membrane materials as biodegradable alternatives to synthetic face mask filters, finding that cellulose nanofibers and nanocrystals offer promising filtration efficiency, biocompatibility, and environmental safety compared to single-use plastic-based respirators.

2022 Cellulose 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Applicability of Membranes in Protective Face Masks and Comparison of Reusable and Disposable Face Masks with Life Cycle Assessment

A comparison of reusable and disposable face masks using life cycle assessment found that while reusable masks have lower total environmental impact over their lifetime, disposable masks shed microplastic fibers that could enter both environmental and human biological systems.

2021 Sustainability 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Aerosol capture and coronavirus spike protein deactivation by enzyme functionalized antiviral membranes

Researchers developed nanostructured membranes coated with an enzyme that breaks down the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2, achieving over 98.9% filtration of coronavirus-sized particles and deactivating viral proteins within 30 seconds — outperforming N95 standards while offering both physical filtering and active antiviral action.

2022 Communications Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Filtration Performance of Layering Masks and Face Coverings and the Reusability of Cotton Masks after Repeated Washing and Drying

Researchers tested the filtration efficiency of various face masks and found that layering a cloth mask over a surgical mask improved particle filtration by about 25%, and that cotton masks retained their filtration ability even after 52 wash-and-dry cycles. However, the study also observed that repeated washing gradually broke down cotton fibers into micro- and nano-scale fragments, raising a subtle concern about microfiber shedding from laundered cloth masks.

2021 Aerosol and Air Quality Research 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of reusable cloth mask with nanoparticle filtration efficiency greater than 95%

Researchers developed a reusable cloth mask with nanoparticle filtration efficiency greater than 95%, motivated by the environmental concerns of single-use surgical and respirator masks that shed microplastic fibers, evaluating the novel mask material's filtration performance against respiratory droplets and particulates.

2022 Aerosol Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

Nano-copper ions assembled cellulose-based composite with antibacterial activity for biodegradable personal protective mask

Researchers developed an antibacterial face mask using cotton fabric modified with nano-copper ions via electrostatic adsorption, achieving 96% particle filtration efficiency, 100% antibacterial activity, and sustained antiviral performance after 50 wash cycles, offering a biodegradable alternative to single-use synthetic masks.

2023 Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes as Promising Candidates for the Development of Face Masks

This review examines the development of biodegradable electrospun nanofiber membranes as alternatives to conventional plastic face masks. Researchers summarize progress on materials including silk fibroin, polylactic acid, chitosan, cellulose, and zein, which can achieve strong filtration performance. The study highlights that degradable nanofiber filters offer a promising solution to reduce the environmental burden of plastic pollution from disposable face masks.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Designing antimicrobial biomembranes via clustering amino-modified cellulose nanocrystals on silk fibroin β-sheets

Researchers created an antimicrobial material by blending amino-modified cellulose nanocrystals with silk fibroin, producing a membrane that killed more than 99.9% of E. coli and Staphylococcus bacteria without harming human cells. The bio-based material offers a promising alternative to chemical disinfectants for coating medical devices and reducing hospital-acquired infections.

2023 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 15 citations