Electrospun cellulose acetate/zeolite fibrous mats: Physicochemical characterization and influence of zeolite type on mat structure, CO2 adsorption, and H2 permeability

The increasing release of greenhouse gases (GHGs), particularly CO2, continues to drive global warming and highlights the need for effective mitigation technologies. In this study, porous nanostructured cellulose acetate (CA) fibrous mats were fabricated via electrospinning and integrated with natural clinoptilolite (CLN) and synthetic ZSM-5 zeolites to improve CO2 capture. Physicochemical characterization, elemental analysis, FTIR, XRD, SEM–EDS, and TGA confirmed the incorporation of zeolitic fillers and revealed their influence on fiber structure and thermal stability. We conducted CO2 adsorption and H2/CO2 permeability tests to assess the feasibility of the electrospun fibrous mats for pre-combustion hydrogen purification. CA/ZSM-5 fibrous mats showed enhanced fiber uniformity, improved thermal stability, and superior CO2 adsorption and H2 separation performance, whereas CA/CLN fibrous mats exhibited good CO2 capture but limited hydrogen selectivity. These results demonstrate that zeolite type governs the structural and functional behavior of electrospun CA hybrid fibrous mats, offering insights for developing sustainable materials for gas separation.