Multifunctional poly(vinylidene fluoride)/polyurethane/titanium dioxide nanofibrous membranes with enhanced ultraviolet-proof, resistant to blood penetration, and waterproof performance

Abstract

Medical protective clothing plays a vital role in protecting medical personnel from viruses and other infectious agents. The trade-off between the wearing comfort and protection reliability of medical protective clothing has gradually attracted widespread attention. Medical staff would suffer from severe discomfort when wearing such clothing for an extended time owing to the poor breathability and humidity associated with traditional medical protective clothing. Herein, poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF)/polyurethane (PU)/titanium oxide (TiO₂) composite nanofibrous membranes are presented for multiple protection functions while maintaining sufficient moisture permeability. The incorporation of the PU component endowed the PVDF-3/PU-7 composite membranes with adhesive structures, considerably promoting the tensile stress to 9.9 MPa (thrice that of the original PVDF membranes). TiO₂ was selected for its remarkable ultraviolet resistance. The proposed multifunctional PVDF/PU/TiO₂ membranes exhibited unique characteristics, including an ultraviolet protection factor of 867 and a hydrostatic pressure of 24.3 kPa, while maintaining comfort with a water vapor transmittance of 7023 g⁻¹ m⁻² d⁻¹. Furthermore, when the concentration of TiO₂ was 2 wt%, the antisynthetic blood penetration was 7 kPa with a Level 4 rating. Overall, based on the compositive expression, the PVDF/PU/TiO₂ composite nanofibrous membranes have broad prospects in medical protective clothing, outdoor sportswear, and military apparel.