Simultaneous removal of particulate matter and gaseous contaminants remains a critical challenge in air filtration engineering, particularly in gas-dominant environments where volatile organic compounds (VOCs) coexist with fine and submicron particles. While activated carbon effectively adsorbs gaseous pollutants, it lacks intrinsic particulate filtration capability. Commercial hybrid systems typically rely on electrostatically charged meltblown (MB) layers for particle capture; however, charge-dependent mechanisms are susceptible to efficiency decay under humidity variations, temperature fluctuations, and exposure to chemically reactive gases, limiting long-term performance stability.

This study introduces a laminated filtration architecture integrating charge-independent nanofiber mechanical filtration with highly microporous coconut-shell-derived activated carbon. The nanofiber layer, defined by ultra-fine fiber diameters and high specific surface area, enables efficient particle capture via diffusion, interception, and inertial impaction without reliance on electrostatic charge, ensuring stable performance under chemically active conditions while maintaining low pressure drop (ΔP).

The activated carbon component exhibits a predominantly microporous (<2 nm) pore structure optimized for adsorption of low- and medium-molecular-weight VOCs. Compared to carbons with broader pore size distributions, the coconut-based carbon provides enhanced adsorption selectivity, low ash content, high purity, and reduced dust generation.

The integrated nanofiber-carbon structure creates functional synergy by mitigating particulate fouling of adsorption sites, preserving adsorption capacity, and enabling stable dual-phase contaminant removal within a single-stage laminated media. Comparative evaluation against conventional charged MB-carbon composites demonstrates improved particle efficiency stability, sustained gas adsorption performance, and controlled pressure drop behavior.

The presented laminated nanofiber–carbon configuration addresses a structural limitation observed in existing commercial carbon-composite filters, where long-term particulate stability and gas adsorption efficiency are not simultaneously optimized. The results support the feasibility of a scalable, dual-function media architecture capable of delivering stable mechanical and adsorptive performance in HVAC systems, data centers, industrial environments, cabin air and indoor air quality applications.