Self-cleaning fabric and article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11925928-B2
Application number	US-202217843143-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2022
Priority date	Jun 17, 2022
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A self-cleaning fabric having a photocatalyst responsive to UV, visible and IR irradiations for inactivating harmful microorganisms via photocatalysis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A self-cleaning fabric, comprising:
a plurality of photocatalyst particles responsive to UV, visible and IR irradiations for inactivating harmful microorganisms via photocatalysis;
wherein the photocatalyst comprises a metal-organic framework-based photocatalyst or a zeolite-based photocatalyst; particles of the metal-organic framework-based photocatalyst or the zeolite-based photocatalyst are attached to a nanofibre; the nanofibre is a carbon-based nanofibre; and the carbon-based nanofibre comprises a polymeric material selected from a group consisting of polyvinylidene fluoride, polylactic acid and polybutylene adipate terephthalate.

2. The self-cleaning fabric of claim 1 , wherein the zeolite-based photocatalyst comprises a carbon-doped zeolite.

3. The self-cleaning fabric of claim 2 , wherein the carbon-doped zeolite is a carbon-doped SSZ-13 zeolite.

4. The self-cleaning fabric of claim 1 , wherein the metal-organic framework-based photocatalyst comprises a thermally-treated metal-organic framework.

5. The self-cleaning fabric of claim 4 , wherein the thermally-treated metal-organic framework comprises thermally-treated zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8).

6. The self-cleaning fabric of claim 1 , wherein the metal-organic framework-based photocatalyst is in the form of nanoparticles.

7. The self-cleaning fabric of claim 1 , wherein the zeolite-based photocatalyst is in the form of microparticles.

8. The self-cleaning fabric of claim 1 , wherein the irradiation has a wavelength of from about 200 nm to about 800 nm.

9. A self-cleaning article comprising a layer of the self-cleaning fabric of claim 1 , wherein the layer of the self-cleaning fabric is an outer layer being supported by an inner layer; the inner layer comprises a non-woven fabric; and the non-woven fabric comprises polylactic acid or polybutylene adipate terephthalate.

10. The self-cleaning article of claim 9 , wherein the non-woven fabric is biodegradable.

11. The self-cleaning article of claim 9 , wherein the self-cleaning fabric and the non-woven fabric are porous.

12. The self-cleaning article of claim 9 , wherein the outer and inner layers are thermally laminated.

13. The self-cleaning article of claim 9 comprises personal protective equipment.

14. The self-cleaning article of claim 13 , wherein the personal protective equipment is a face mask or protective clothing.

15. A method of forming the self-cleaning fabric of claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
forming a carbon-based nanofibre by way of electrospinning; and
loading the photocatalyst in the form of nanoparticles or microparticles onto the carbon-based nanofibre.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the steps of forming of the carbon-based nanofibre and loading of the photocatalyst are performed simultaneously.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the photocatalyst in the form of nanoparticles is a thermally-treated metal-organic framework comprising zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), and wherein formation of the thermally-treated metal-organic framework comprises the steps of:
mixing Zn(NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O with 2-methylimidazole to form a reaction solution containing a precipitate;
separating the precipitate from the reaction solution and drying the precipitate; and
thermally treating the separated precipitate to form the nanoparticles of the thermally-treated metal-organic framework.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the photocatalyst in the form of microparticles is a carbon-doped SSZ-13 zeolite, and wherein formation of the carbon-doped SSZ-13 zeolite comprises the steps of:
mixing N, N, N-trimethyl-1-adamantanamine hydroxide and tetraethyl orthosilicate in water to form a reaction solution;
adding aluminium ethoxide to the reaction solution to form a gel and transferring the gel to an autoclave;
heating the autoclave to form a template-containing SSZ-13 zeolite;
collecting and drying the template-containing SSZ-13 zeolite; and
calcining the template-containing SSZ-13 zeolite to dope carbon into the zeolite.

19. A method of forming a self-cleaning article comprising:
providing a first layer of a self-cleaning fabric according to claim 1 ; and
thermally laminating the first layer to a second layer of a non-woven fabric to support the first layer;
wherein the first layer is an outer layer, wherein the second layer is an inner layer, wherein the outer layer is supported by the inner layer, and wherein the non-woven fabric comprises polylactic acid or polybutylene adipate terephthalate.

Assignees

• Univ City Hong Kong

Inventors

• Shang Jin
• Wang Tianqi
• Sun Mingzhe

Classifications

• B01J35/58 Primary

  Fabrics or filaments · CPC title

• B01J29/70

  of types characterised by their specific structure not provided for in groups B01J29/08 - B01J29/65 · CPC title

• B01J31/06

  containing polymers {(organometallic polymers B01J31/123; polymer-bound organometallic complexes B01J31/165; coordination polymers B01J31/1691)} · CPC title

• B01J31/1691

  Coordination polymers, e.g. metal-organic frameworks [MOF] (preparation of metal complexes containing carboxylic acid moieties C07C51/418; MOF's per se C07F) · CPC title

• B01J35/39 Primary

  Photocatalytic properties · CPC title