Hybrid Nanofibrous Multifunctional Composite Membranes for Environmental Pollution Control: A Synergistic Design of MOFs, Carbon, and Polymer Composites

Abstract

The growing impact of environmental pollution, including air, water and electromagnetic interference (EMI), is becoming a serious problem for human health, ecosystem balance and industrial safety. Existing single-function remediation technologies are increasingly inadequate to address complex global environmental pollution scenarios characterized by different types of pollutants and diverse environmental conditions. In this context, nanofibrous membrane technology has emerged as a promising platform for integrated remediation due to its high surface area, porosity and structural tunability. This study proposes the development of hybrid nanofibrous multifunctional composite membranes that synergistically integrate metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), carbon-based materials and functional polymers for comprehensive environmental pollution control. Electrospun nanofibrous membranes are designed to simultaneously remove particulate matter (PM) and toxic gaseous pollutants from the air, adsorb micropollutants of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment, and solve EMI problems. MOFs such as ZIF-67 offer high selectivity and adsorption capacity, and carbon nanomaterials improve mechanical integrity and electrical performance of the membrane. Functional polymer-based nanofibrous templates act as supports, enabling stable nanomaterial Ph.D./EN 20202027 composites and allowing pore characteristics and surface chemistry to be tuned for better interaction with environmental pollutants. Developed through rational material design, advanced manufacturing strategies and performance evaluation under different environmental conditions (humidity, temperature and pollutant type), the hybrid membranes demonstrate high removal efficiency, extended lifetime and versatility. This research provides new designs and insights for next-generation environmental remediation membranes, offering scalable, energy-efficient and sustainable solutions to the complex pollution problems of modern cities and industrial ecosystems. This research will focus on the following three main topics: 1) Design, development and evaluation of necklace-like structural design of MOF composite electrospun nanofibrous membrane based on ultrafine (~65 nm fiber diameter) electrospun nanofibers that simultaneously have excellent particulate filtration performance (high filtration efficiency and low pressure drop) and gaseous filtration performance (SO2 adsorption performance) under different environmental conditions (temperature and humidity). 2) Design, development and evaluation of hierarchically microporous MOF composite electrospun microporous nanofibrous membranes using in situ growth methods for effective control of aquatic pollutants (antibiotics, tetracycline) in different aquatic environments. 3) Design, development and evaluation of layer by layer dense structural design of carbonaceous materials on electrospun nanofibrous composite membranes through interface control and modification with enhanced interfacial compatibility for selective environmental separation and shielding applications (water vapor separation and EMI shielding). For the air filtration and water vapor separation tests, laboratory-scale modules were designed and built that can precisely control gas flows to adjust air conditions (humidity, temperature).