Novel mask demonstrates 99.9% pathogen inactivation using pulsed electric field and silver nanoparticles, suggesting effective sterilization solutions.
The global pandemic of aerosol- and droplet-borne infectious diseases has highlighted the urgent need for a new generation of protective masks with efficient active inactivation capabilities. However, traditional protective masks rely on passive physical barriers and do not provide long-lasting and efficient protection. Existing sterilization masks rely on external conditions such as power, photocatalysis, and heating, which reduces the usefulness of the masks. In this work, we present a novel self-powered multiple sterilization mask (SMSM) that integrates pulsed electric field sterilization and chemical sterilization, achieving 99.9% pathogen inactivation. The Ag-PP/ePTFE functional layer of the mask is based on an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) film with a coating of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) deposited on one side and polypropylene (PP) fibers attached to the other. Driven intermittently by human respiration, Ag-PP/ePTFE interacts with the midlayer meltblown fabric to form a vertical contact-separated triboelectric nanogenerator that generates a pulsed electric field. The field disrupts bacterial cell membranes through electroporation while activating multiple chemical reactions to produce antimicrobial silver ions (Ag⁺) and hydroxyl radicals (·OH). SMSM provides multiple active sterilization mechanisms independent of external conditions. This work provides a sustainable and effective solution for the next generation of protective masks.
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Bi et al. (2025) studied this question.
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