From left, KAIST doctoral candidate Woo Seong-yun, Prof. Kim Il-doo, Prof. Lee Seung-seob, doctoral candidate Chae Ji-hwan, A2US researcher Yoo Ji-yeon, and Dr. Cho Yoo-jang. (Picture courtesy of KAIST)
KAIST introduced on Dec. 8 {that a} joint analysis group led by Prof. Kim Il-doo of the Division of Supplies Science and Engineering and Prof. Lee Seung-seob of the Division of Mechanical Engineering has developed a brand new water electrostatic spray-based air purification gadget that quickly removes ultrafine mud with no filter, doesn’t generate ozone and operates at ultra-low energy.
The know-how was created by combining Prof. Lee’s “ozone-free water electrostatic spray” know-how with Prof. Kim’s “high-moisture-absorption nanofiber” know-how. Contained in the gadget, a high-voltage electrode, a nanofiber absorber that attracts up water by itself, and polymer microchannels that transfer water by way of capillary motion kind a self-pumped construction that provides water routinely with no pump, enabling long-term steady water electrostatic spraying.
The analysis group confirmed that the gadget overcomes the constraints of current air purifiers by eliminating the necessity for filter alternative, producing no ozone, and eradicating even PM0.3 ultrafine mud — particles no bigger than about one-two-hundredth the thickness of a human hair — in a brief time period. In addition they concurrently verified excessive stability and sturdiness, with no efficiency degradation even after long-term operation. The gadget operated stably with out lack of efficiency throughout 30 consecutive checks and 50 hours of steady operation, and consumed solely about 1.3W of energy, a degree even decrease than a smartphone charger and roughly one-twentieth of the facility consumption of excessive effectivity particulate air (HEPA) filter-based air purifiers. With no filter, there isn’t a strain loss within the airflow and virtually no noise is produced. Whereas producing zero ozone, the know-how maintains excessive purification effectivity, presenting potential as a next-generation eco-friendly air purification platform. Specifically, eliminating filter alternative prices, enabling ultra-low-power operation, and making certain long-term stability are anticipated to help growth into varied fields resembling automotive, clean-room, transportable and wearable air purification modules, past indoor environments.
The know-how is at present being commercialized by A2US, a startup launched from Prof. Lee Seung-seob’s laboratory. A2US received a CES 2025 Innovation Award and plans to launch a conveyable air air purifier in 2026.
