Since the third scientific and technological revolution, electronic information technology has developed rapidly, and piezoelectric materials that can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy have become a research hotspot. Among them, piezoelectric polymers are widely used in various fields such as water treatment, biomedicine, and flexible sensors due to their good flexibility and weak toxicity. However, compared with ceramic piezoelectric materials, the piezoelectric properties of polymers are poor, so it is very important to improve the piezoelectric properties of polymers. Electrospinning technology can improve the piezoelectric properties of piezoelectric polymers by adjusting electrospinning parameters to control the piezoelectrically active phase transition of polymers. In addition, the prepared nanofibrous membrane is also a good substrate for supporting piezoelectric functional particles, which can also effectively improve the piezoelectric properties of polymers by doping particles. This paper reviews the piezoelectric properties of various electrospun piezoelectric polymer membranes, especially polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based electrospun nanofibrous membranes (NFs). Additionally, this paper introduces the various methods for increasing piezoelectric properties from the perspective of structure and species. Finally, the applications of NFs in the fields of biology, energy, and photocatalysis are discussed, and the future research directions and development are prospected.

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Dyes, antibiotics, heavy metal ions, and bacteria are important sources of water pollution. How to solve these issues has become a problem in the fields of science and technology. People have developed a variety of technologies to treat pollutants in water. Photocatalytic technology came into being. As a simple and environmentally friendly treatment technology, it has been widely studied by the scientific community. Traditional powder photocatalysts cause secondary pollution to the environment and are not conducive to recycling. Therefore, large specific surface area and reusable membrane photocatalysts built by electrospinning technology have become a favorite of today’s scientific community. Nanofiber membranes prepared by electrospinning technology have a variety of structures, which can meet the needs of different occasions. This review summarizes and discusses research progress in electrospinning technology, the relationship between the structure and treatment of electrospun fiber membranes, and their impacts on the photocatalytic performance of nanofiber membranes. The performance, challenges, and future development directions of nanofiber membranes with different structures, prepared by different kinds of electrospinning techniques using photocatalysis to treat different pollutants, are reviewed.

Herbal medicine has a long history of medical efficacy with low toxicity, side effects and good biocompatibility. However, the bioavailability of the extract of raw herbs and bioactive compounds is poor because of their low water solubility. In order to overcome the solubility issues, electrospinning technology can offer a delivery alternative to resolve them. The electrospun fibers have the advantages of high specific surface area, high porosity, excellent mechanical strength and flexible structures. At the same time, various natural and synthetic polymer-bound fibers can mimic extracellular matrix applications in different medical fields. In this paper, the development of electrospinning technology and polymers used for incorporating herbal medicine into electrospun nanofibers are reviewed. Finally, the recent progress of the applications of these herbal medicine nanofibers in biomedical (drug delivery, wound dressing, tissue engineering) and food fields along with their future prospects is discussed.