Thermoplastic Polyurethane-Based Antibacterial Air Filtration Material for Dual-Function Purification and Strain Sensing

The advancement of technology necessitates the integration of sensing and antimicrobial functions into air filtration materials, a critical gap that traditional single-function materials fail to address in the face of escalating air pollution threats. In this study, a multifunctional ultrastretchable liquid metal/Ag nanoparticles/polydopamine/hollow thermoplastic polyurethane (LM/AgNPs/PDA/HTPU) fibrous membrane was successfully fabricated via coaxial electrospinning, in situ growth, and vacuum deposition. It is found that the LM/AgNPs/PDA/HTPU fibrous membrane exhibits excellent air filtration performance (filtration efficiency of 99.57 ± 0.30% and pressure drop of 91.5 ± 2.12 Pa). In addition, it shows outstanding antibacterial properties, demonstrated by inhibition zones of 5.35 ± 0.36 mm against Escherichia coli and 4.20 ± 0.32 mm against Staphylococcus aureus. More importantly, it also possesses favorable sensing performance (gauge factor = 39,480) and a wide sensing range of 270% strain. It provides an excellent method for fabricating next-generation multifunctional filtration materials with integrated versatility, stability, and wearing comfort that can be applied in the fields of respiratory monitoring and protection.