Air pollution is
a problem that is increasing day by day and poses
a threat on a global scale. Particulate matter (PM) is one of the
air pollutants that is the biggest concern regarding air quality.
In order to control PM pollution, highly effective air filters are
required. This is especially necessary for PM with a diameter of less
than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), which poses a health risk
to humans. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time the use
of a two-dimensional titanium carbide (Ti3C2) MXene nanosheets-decorated nylon mesh (MDNM) as a low cost and
highly efficient PM2.5filter. This study develops a proof-of-concept
method to capture PM2.5. Thanks to their high specific
surface area and active surface-terminating groups, conductive MXene
nanosheets have made nylon mesh filters promising candidates for air
filtration. The developed filters used electrostatic force to capture
PM2.5and showed high removal efficiency (90.05%) when
an ionizer was used and under an applied voltage of 10 V, while a
commercial high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter had a removal
efficiency of 91.03% measured under identical conditions. The proposed
filters, which stand out with their low energy consumption, low pressure
drop (∼14 Pa), and cost-effectiveness, have the potential to
be a strong competitor to conventional PM filter systems used in many
fields.