β-Cyclodextrin based air filter for high-efficiency filtration of pollution sources

Highlights: • The addition of β-CD to the PVA filter can improve filtration efficiency (about 99%) of PM 2.5. • The β-CD based PVA filter has 2 times air permeability contrast to the commercial air-filter. • The addition of β-CD to the PVA filter can capture the toxic gasous chemicals as HCHO and SO₂. • The β-CD based nanofibrous PVA filter was kind of environmentally friendly materials. -- Abstract: Airborne particulate matter (PM) pollution has become a serious environmental problem. Thus, there is a need for the development of air filters with satisfactory overall performance. In this paper, we develop a kind of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) based air filter with high strength, which has not only high filtration efficiency (about 99%) but also good air permeability (the pressure drop is only 45Pa). Especially after long-term application, the pression drop of β-cyclodextrin based was less than half of the commercial air-filter. Additionally, the material can capture the toxic gasous chemicals (e.g. formaldehyde and SO₂). The introduction of β-CD is supposed to be the key factor for improvement of air filter.