Electrospun Hydrophobic Nanofiber Films from Biodegradable Zein and Curcumin with Improved Tensile Strength for Air Filtration

Zein as a natural protein had been widely used in various fields due to its biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, its sensitivity to humidity and poor mechanical performance limited its application in practice. In this study, zein-based composite nanofibers loaded with curcumin were prepared by electrospinning assisted with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The filtration efficiency of the modified nanofibers to the particles with diameters larger than 0.5 μm was all above 98%. The loaded curcumin interacted with protein molecular chains to form a network structure within tightly connected nanofibers, which exhibited excellent moisture resistance and good adhesion to cellulose paper towels used as air filter substrates. Meanwhile, its tensile strength had also been enhanced vastly to 0.72 MPa compared with the initial tensile strength of 0.21 MPa. This study provides a new electrospinning strategy for the preparation of zein-based composite nanofibers that can be widely utilized in air filtration with high moisture resistance.