Provided herein are methods for forming nanofibers. The current disclosure provides ceramic nanofibers, morphology-controlled ceramic-polymer hybrid nanofibers, morphology-controlled ceramic nanofibers, core-sheath nanofibers and hollow core nanofibers using ceramic precursor materials and polymer materials which are combined and undergo electrospinning. The current disclosure provides for methods of forming these nanofibers at low temperatures such as room temperature and in the presence of oxygen and moisture wherein the ceramic precursor cures to a ceramic material during the electrospinning process. Also disclosed are the nanofibers prepared by the disclosed methods.

Membranes are provided for filtering a gas, in some cases air. Membranes using a highly porous cellulose nano fibrous barrier layer with a highly porous (surface-charged) substrate can exhibit high flux, high retention, and low pressure drop in air filtration of toxic aromatic gases, fumes, bacteria, viruses, dusts, and particulate matters.

A method for producing a microstructured air-permeable environmental barrier membrane includes providing a substrate, and structuring a through hole into the substrate, the through hole extending fully through the substrate between two opposite surfaces of the substrate, leaving the through hole uncovered, and depositing one or more nanofibers onto at least one of the two opposite substrate surfaces by applying at least one of an electrospinning or blowspinning method, such that the spun nanofibers combine to a network of nanofibers that forms a free-standing and mechanically compliant nanofibrous membrane covering the previously uncovered through hole.

A tunable nanofiber filter device can include a filter housing defining an interior space, the housing having defined therein and inlet and an outlet, each in fluid communication with the interior space, and a plurality of filter laminas disposed within the interior space, each filter lamina including an upper surface, a lower surface, and an aperture defined therethrough. The plurality of filter laminas can be arranged in a stack wherein the opposing surfaces of adjacent filter laminas define a portion of an interlaminar flow space extending between the opposing surfaces. The flow space can be in fluid communication with the apertures of corresponding adjacent filter laminas to form a continuous flow passage extending through the lamina stack from the inlet to the outlet. An array nanofibers can extend into the flow passage from a portion of each filter lamina such that a fluid flowed through the flow passage flows across a portion of said array.

A porous membrane comprising stacked layers of nanosheets, each nanosheet comprising one to three atomic layers of a 2D material comprising or consisting of one or more transition metal dichalcogenides is provided. The nanosheets have pores and the membrane comprises a network of water permeation pathways including through-pathways formed by the pores, horizontal pathways formed by gaps between the layers, and vertical pathways formed by gaps between adjacent nanosheets and stacking defects between the layers. Also provided is a method for making the membrane.

Provided herein are methods for forming nanofibers. The current disclosure provides ceramic nanofibers, morphology-controlled ceramic-polymer hybrid nanofibers, morphology-controlled ceramic nanofibers, core-sheath nanofibers and hollow core nanofibers using ceramic precursor materials and polymer materials which are combined and undergo electrospinning. The current disclosure provides for methods of forming these nanofibers at low temperatures such as room temperature and in the presence of oxygen and moisture wherein the ceramic precursor cures to a ceramic material during the electrospinning process. Also disclosed are the nanofibers prepared by the disclosed methods.

A tunable nanofiber filter device can include a filter housing defining an interior space, the housing having defined therein and inlet and an outlet, each in fluid communication with the interior space, and a plurality of filter laminas disposed within the interior space, each filter lamina including an upper surface, a lower surface, and an aperture defined therethrough. The plurality of filter laminas can be arranged in a stack wherein the opposing surfaces of adjacent filter laminas define a portion of an interlaminar flow space extending between the opposing surfaces. The flow space can be in fluid communication with the apertures of corresponding adjacent filter laminas to form a continuous flow passage extending through the lamina stack from the inlet to the outlet. An array nanofibers can extend into the flow passage from a portion of each filter lamina such that a fluid flowed through the flow passage flows across a portion of said array.

Compositions made of laminate comprised of porous carbon nanotube (CNT) are disclosed. Uses of the Compositions, particularly for reducing a formation of a load of a microorganism or of a biofilm, are also disclosed.

A filter membrane includes carbon nanotubes and carbon nitride nanoparticles. Inter-particle atomic interactions between the carbon nanotubes and the carbon nitride nanoparticles bind the carbon nanotubes and the carbon nitride nanoparticles together. A filter cartridge includes such a filter membrane disposed within an outer housing between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet such that fluid passing through the outer housing between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet passes through the filter membrane. Such filter membranes may be formed by dispersing carbon nanotubes and carbon nitride nanoparticles in a liquid to form a suspension, and passing the suspension through a filter to deposit the nanotubes and nanoparticles on the filter. Liquid may be filtered by causing the liquid to pass through such a filter membrane.

A high flux and low pressure drop microfiltration (MF) membrane and a method for making the MF membrane. The microfiltration membranes are formed by a method that includes: preparing a nanofibrous structure; and modifying the surface of the nanofibrous structure with a surface modifier. The nanofibrous structure includes an electrospun nanofibrous scaffold or a polysaccharide nanofiber infused nanoscaffold or mixtures thereof. The electrospun nanofibrous scaffold can include polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or polyethersulfone (PES))/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or mixtures thereof. The surface modifier includes polyethylenimine (PEI) and polyvinyl amine (Lupamin) cross-linked by ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGdGE)/glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (GTMACl) or poly(1-(1-vinylimidazolium)ethyl-3-vinylimdazolium dibromide (VEVIMIBr).