Joint Research Achievement by Professor Lee Hyungwoo of Pusan National University,
Professor Jeon Il of Sungkyunkwan University, and Professor Kim Hanjun of Korea University
Usable Even After 10,000 Folds...
Next-Generation Mask Based on Carbon Nanotubes
A domestic research team has developed an eco-friendly mask using carbon nanotubes, commonly used in semiconductors, that can eliminate 99.8% of viruses simply by exposure to sunlight and can be used even after being folded and unfolded more than 10,000 times. This innovation is expected to provide revolutionary quarantine solutions for the medical and industrial sectors.
This mask not only addresses the environmental pollution issues of conventional disposable masks but is also reusable and can be equipped with smart functions such as a breathing sensor or humidity detection. As a result, it is being evaluated as a next-generation technology with economic feasibility, sustainability, and productization potential.
Pusan National University (President Choi Jaewon) announced on the 3rd that a research team led by Professor Lee Hyungwoo from the Department of Nanoenergy Engineering, in collaboration with Sungkyunkwan University and Korea University, has developed a reusable, eco-friendly mask based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) produced via roll-to-roll processing.
Research team. (From left: Hyungwoo Lee, Il Jeon, Hanjun Kim, Chaeyoung Woo, Ilhyun Lee) Provided by Pusan National University
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, mask-wearing has become part of daily life. However, conventional disposable masks have limitations, such as causing environmental problems like plastic waste and a significant drop in virus-blocking performance after a single use. Therefore, there has been a demand for the development of high-efficiency mask filters that are reusable and maintain their performance.
The new mask developed by the domestic research team synthesizes carbon nanotubes suitable for dry spinning and enables large-area production through roll-to-roll processing. It can combine carbon nanotubes and polypropylene fibers without adhesives, offering higher industrial applicability compared to existing manufacturing methods.
The roll-to-roll process is a manufacturing technology that coats or transfers materials onto the surface of continuously rotating rolls, allowing for large-area production. It is highly productive, suitable for mass manufacturing, and is utilized in various fields such as films, sensors, and mask filters.
This mask, developed to overcome the environmental and functional limitations of conventional disposable masks, applies superhydrophobic (contact angle 175.53 degrees) carbon nanotubes to the mask, allowing the excellent properties of carbon nanotubes to be fully utilized.
The contact angle is an indicator of the wettability of a surface, defined by the angle at the solid-liquid-gas interface formed by a liquid droplet placed on a solid surface. Generally, a larger contact angle indicates hydrophobicity, while a smaller angle indicates hydrophilicity. If the angle exceeds 150 degrees, it is classified as superhydrophobic.
The mask developed by the research team features a vertically aligned structure of carbon nanotubes, providing excellent breathability and allowing for moisture management inside the mask. In addition, the properties of carbon nanotubes enable virus inactivation through sunlight or electrical heating (Joule heating), achieving a 99.8% virus removal rate.
Furthermore, the mask can offer smart functions (such as breathing sensors and humidity detection) by measuring resistance changes in the carbon nanotubes during breathing. It also demonstrates high durability, maintaining its properties even after more than 10,000 bending tests, thus addressing the shortcomings of existing masks and showing potential for application as a next-generation medical and industrial quarantine mask.
Professor Lee Hyungwoo of Pusan National University's Department of Nanoenergy Engineering stated, "Through this research, we have developed an eco-friendly, reusable high-performance mask, and we plan to conduct further studies for practical application in the future."
This research was conducted by Professor Lee Hyungwoo of Pusan National University, Professor Jeon Il of Sungkyunkwan University, and Professor Kim Hanjun of Korea University as co-corresponding authors, with Dr. Woo Chaeyoung, a postdoctoral researcher at Pusan National University's Energy Convergence Technology Research Institute, and Lee Ilhyun, a doctoral student at Sungkyunkwan University, as co-first authors. The study was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Research Foundation of Korea (Mid-career Research, Global Frontier Research Center), and the Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation's Information and Communications Research Center project.
The results of this research were published in the international journal 'SusMat' on March 10.
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