Efficient adsorption of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons by electrospun hydrophobic PTFE-NiO composite nanofiber filter mats

Aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons (AAHs) are comprised of a variety of gaseous chemicals that may affect human and environmental health. To remove AAHs from air, polytetrafluoroethylene-nickel oxide (PTFE-NiO) composite nanofiber filter mats (NFMs) were synthesized and characterized for their ability to effectively adsorb AAHs. The NiO-nanoparticle-doped mats were fabricated by green electrospinning of PTFE and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mixtures added with nickel (II) nitrate hexahydrate in the spinning solution followed by surface heat treatment. FE-SEM FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, sessile drop and Jar methods were applied as characterization techniques. The diameter of the electrospun nanofibers without NiO dopant ranged from 0.34 +/- 21.61 to 0.23 +/- 10.12 mu m, whereas a reduction in diameter of NiO-doped nanofibers was obtained, ranging between pristine to 0.25 +/- 24.12 mu m and 0.12 +/- 85.75 mu m with heat treatment. 6% (by weight) NiO-doped PTFE composite NFMs exhibited a high water-contact angle of 120 +/- 2.20 degrees; the high hydrophobicity value aided self-cleansing property of NFMs for practical applications. UV adsorption capability for heat-treated PTFE-NiO NFMs was evaluated for three AAHs, and the results showed that 6 wt% NiO adsorbed 1.41, 0.67, and 0.73 mu g/mg of toluene, formaldehyde and acetone, respectively. These findings reveal the potential applicability of the prepared filter mats for capturing various AAHs from polluted air.