Nasrul Arahman, Afrillia Fahrina, Sri Mulyati, Lisendra Marbelia, Manhuwal Walad, Nova Kurnia, Muhammad Asy’ari, Asim Laeeq Khan, Muhammad Roil Bilad
Air pollution, bioaerosols, and volatile organic compounds continue to drive demand for air filters that combine high removal efficiency with low airflow penalty, durability, and multifunctionality. This systematic review examines electrospun nanofiber membranes (ENMs) reported from 2016 to 2025, with particular focus on charge engineering, wettability/architectural control, antimicrobial modification, and gas-adsorptive or photocatalytic hybridization. Beyond summarizing individual studies, the review compares how charge density, fiber diameter, pore hierarchy, and surface chemistry jointly determine filtration efficiency, pressure drop, quality factor, and resistance to humidity-induced decay. Electret and triboelectric strategies are shown to be especially effective for submicron capture when β-phase-rich polymers, low-water-uptake chemistries, and charge-replenishing designs are co-optimized. Gradient and multilayer architectures can reduce fouling and moisture accumulation, but their benefit depends on limiting added flow resistance through thin active layers and multiscale porosity. The literature also confirms that antimicrobial and gas-phase functions can broaden ENM utility, although direct evidence for long-term safety, leaching resistance, and regeneration remains uneven. A bibliometric and reporting-quality appraisal reveals rapid growth =recently, but also persistent under-reporting of relative humidity, face velocity, and durability protocols. The review therefore concludes with design and testing guidelines for humidity-resilient, scalable ENM filters relevant to personal protection, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and industrial ventilation. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Jl. Syeh A. Rauf, No. 7, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia; Research Unit, Cendekia Berkarya Mandiri Foundation, Jl. Praya-Sengkol, Panji Sari, Praya, 83516, Indonesia; Chemical Engineering Department, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Grafika 2, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia; Faculty of Applied Science and Education, Universitas Pendidikan Mandalika, Jl. Pemuda No 59A, Mataram, 83126, Indonesia; Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah, 42351, Saudi Arabia; Faculty of Integrated Technologies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
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