Lavender Essential Oil-Loaded Composite Fiber Membrane Prepared by Coaxial Electrospinning for High-Performance, Antibacterial, and Lasting-Fragrance Air Filtration

Abstract

In this study, LO (lavender essential oil) and PCL (polycaprolactone)-based nanofibrous membranes were successfully prepared using electrospinning technology. Due to the large specific surface area of the coaxial electrospinning nanofibers, the composite fiber membrane synthesized displays outstanding performance in the loading and release of LO. The study examines three common essential oils: Lavender Flower Oil (LFO), Lavandin Hybrida Oil (LHO), and Lavender Spike Oil (LSO). The results showed that this nanofiber membrane can effectively encapsulate LO, achieve long-term release, and exhibit long-lasting aroma and antibacterial effects. In terms of air filtration performance, the LHO/PCL membrane with an inner DMF (dimethylformamide) concentration of 5% has a significant filtration effect on PM2.5. In addition, in vitro antibacterial experiments show that LO/PCL nanofiber membranes have good antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, especially the LHO/PCL and LSO/PCL membranes. In summary, the LHO/PCL nanofiber membrane with 5% DMF demonstrated high filtration efficiency (quality factors is 0.13 Pa−1), sustained aroma retention for over 7 days, and exhibited antimicrobial properties, effectively inhibiting bacterial growth by 99% in testing. Therefore, the LO/PCL nanofiber membrane shows good application potential as an essential oil carrier in air filtration systems.