High-performance nanofiber-activated carbon composite for nuclear air purification: Synergistic iodine capture and particulate filtration

Effective control of airborne particulate matter and gaseous radioactive iodine is a critical challenge for nuclear facility safety and radioactive waste remediation. Although conventional systems for particle filtration and iodine adsorption are widely implemented, their inherent radioactive contamination leads to prohibitively high post-treatment disposal costs. Herein, we report a novel dual-functional composite material, NSiO-ESF@ACF, fabricated via a metal-wire-based needleless electrospinning technique that integrates electrospun nanofibers with activated carbon fibers (ACFs) in a synergistic architecture. The engineered composite membrane demonstrates unprecedented multifunctionality: outstanding particle filtration efficiency (99.98 % removal of PM₀.₃ at 205.9 Pa), a record-high iodine adsorption capacity (764.56 mg/g with outlet iodine concentration < 5 %), and scalable manufacturability. The nanofibers, with diameters comparable to the mean free path of air molecules, facilitate slip-flow-dominated transport, thereby achieving low pressure drop (≤ 205.9 Pa). The incorporation of hydrophobic silica nanoparticles modulates fiber diameter and enhances environmental durability, maintaining >99.95 % filtration efficiency after three wet-dry cycles. Notably, a synergistic interaction between the particulate interception layer and the iodine adsorption layer is observed, yielding a combined performance greater than the sum of the individual components (1 + 1 > 2). This technological advancement simultaneously addresses three core challenges in nuclear air purification systems: high-efficiency particulate retention, superior iodine capture, and cost-effective scalable fabrication. The NSiO-ESF@ACF composite sets a pioneering example for multifunctional integration and environmental resilience in radioactive contaminant management.