Graphene oxide-based rechargeable respiratory masks

Respiratory masks having similar standards of 'N95', defined by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, will be highly sought after, post the current COVID-19 pandemic. Here, such a low-cost (∼$1/mask) mask design having electrostatic rechargeability and filtration efficiency of >95% with a quality factor of ∼20 kPa^-1 is demonstrated. This filtration efficacy is for particles of size 300 nm. The tri-layer mask, named PPDFGO tri, contains nylon, modified polypropylene (PPY), and cotton nonwoven fabrics as three layers. The melt-spun PPY, available in a conventional N95 mask, modified with graphene oxide and polyvinylidene fluoride mixture containing paste using a simple solution casting method acts as active filtration layer. The efficacy of this tri-layer system toward triboelectric rechargeability using small mechanical agitations is demonstrated here. These triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)-assisted membranes have high electrostatic charge retention capacity (∼1 nC/cm² after 5 days in ambient condition) and high rechargeability even in very humid conditions (>80% RH). A simple but robust permeability measurement set up is also constructed to test these TENG-based membranes, where a flow rate of 30-35 L/min is maintained during the testing. Such a simple modification to the existing mask designs enabling their rechargeability <i>via</i> external mechanical disturbances, with enhanced usability for single use as well as for reuse with decontantamination, will be highly beneficial in the realm of indispensable personal protective equipment.