Electrospun polymer nanofibers: The booming cutting edge technology

Abstract

Electrospinning has been recognized as a simple and efficient technique for the fabrication of ultrathin fibers from a variety of materials including polymers, composite and ceramics. Significant progress has been made throughout the past years in electrospinning and the resulting fibrous structures have been exploited in a wide range of potential applications. This article reviews the state-of-art of electrospinning to prepare fibrous electrode materials and polymer electrolytes based on electrospun membranes in the view of their physical and electrochemical properties for the application in lithium batteries. The review covers the electrospinning process, the governing parameters and their influence on fiber or membrane morphology. After a brief discussion of some potential applications associated with the remarkable features of electrospun membranes, we highlight the exploitation of this cutting edge technology in lithium batteries. Finally the article is concluded with some personal perspectives on the future directions in the fascinating field of energy storage.

Ultrathin Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Fibers: Structure and Dynamic Characteristics

“…The requirements on the fiber geometry may vary with the application conditions. The development of sensors (for example, fiberoptic sensors) req-uires, as a rule, a decrease in the fiber diameter to the nano level to improve the sensitivity, whereas, in the case of biomedical fiber materials used, in particular, as matrixes for cell engineering, nano-fibers result in deterioration of cell adhesion and a reduced cellgrowth rate [24].…”

Electrospinning predictions using artificial neural networks

“…Specific applications include tissue scaffolds [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11], membranes for fuel cells [12], separation layers for batteries [13], air and water filtration [14,15], reinforcement for nano-composites [2,[16][17][18], piezoelectric fibres for energy harvesting and sensors [19][20][21] and conductive layers in solar cells and electronics [17,21,22]. Electrospinning compares favourably with other methods of nano-fibre manufacture such as drawing, template synthesis, phase separation and self-assembly due to its relative simplicity and low cost [23][24][25][26].…”

Preparation and characterization of electrospun human hair keratin / poly (ethylene oxide) composite nanofibers

“…There are a wide range of polymers that have been produced nanofibers by electrospinning over the last three decades [4]. The apparatus used for electrospinning includes a high voltage DC supply, a syringe pump with capillaries for carrying the solution from the syringe or pipette to the spinneret, and a grounded metal collector.…”