Green and antimicrobial 5-bromosalicylic acid/polyvinyl butyral nanofibrous membranes enable interception-sterilization-integrated bioprotection

Abstract Respiratory diseases, particularly which are highly infectious, have become a severe public health concern. Presently available masks used to prevent infections typically lack antibacterial activity. Herein, an eco-friendly 5-bromosalicylic acid/polyvinyl butyral nanofibrous membranes (BSA/PVB NMs) with high interception efficiency and antimicrobial property is reported. The membrane design uses green materials and electrospinning technique, making the entire process environmentally friendly. The resulting BSA/PVB NMs possess intriguing features, such as high filtration efficiency (>99%) at an airflow velocity of 85 L min−1, superior bactericidal activity (>99.999%) when in contact with bacteria for 10 min, and excellent bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) (>99.9%) when combined with non-woven fabric to form a mask. The preparation of BSA/PVB NMs are completely up to the requirements of the core layer of N95 grade personal protective mask, making it a new choice of multi-functional bioprotective masks.