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Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 48201

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lilia Sabantina

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Guest Editor

Junior Research Group Nanomaterias, Faculty of Engineering and Mathematics, Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, Interaktion 1, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany
Interests: carbon nanofibers; needle-free electrospinning; mycelium Pleurotus Ostreatus /polymer nano-composites; 3D printing; 2D/ 3D design process; pattern design; fashion design; smart textiles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Ramiro Rafael Ruiz Rosas

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemical Engineering, Malaga University, 29010 Malaga, Spain
Interests: activated carbons; nanostructured carbons; electrospinning; pyrolysis; supercapacitors; oxygen reduction reaction; electrocatalysts; kinetic modelling

Prof. Dr. Juana María Rosas

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Guest Editor

Andalucía Tech., Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Science,Campus de Teatinos s/n, University of Malaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
Interests: carbon materials; biorefinery; applied catalysis; industrial process development; pollutant removal
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Francisco José García-Mateos

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Guest Editor

Andalucía Tech., Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Science,Campus de Teatinos s/n, University of Malaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
Interests: functional carbon materials; carbon fibers; electrospinning; lignin; heterogeneous catalysis; liquid/gas phase adsorption

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanofibers represent an exciting new class of materials offering a wide range of high-tech applications in filtration, medicine, cosmetics, insulation, protective clothing, textile, automotive, aerospace, environmental protection, energy or information technology. Using simple and easily adaptable electrospinning technology, new possibilities for the production of nanofibers from synthetic and natural polymers are emerging.

Nanotechnology leads to the development of a new generation of functionalized textiles for various applications, such as tissue and aerospace engineering, self-cleaning properties, sensor technology, communication, body sensor networks or wireless data transmission. In addition, the versatilibity of electrospinning has allowed the preparation of electrospun polymeric nanofibers with improved performance in catalytic and adsorption applications.

This Special Issue focuses on the latest research advances in the design and manufacture of electrospun polymeric nanofibers with precisely tailored and engineered mechanical, physical–chemical properties for defined applications. The whole spectrum from basic research on electrospinning of new intelligent textile materials, catalysts and adsorbents to the production of novel electrospun structures and their functionalization for advanced aplications is appreciated here. Other topics of interest are also welcome and not limited to the below list if the intended research topics generally fit into the category of the preparation, characterization, and applications of electrospun polymeric nanofibers.

Dr. Lilia Sabantina
Dr. Ramiro Rafael Ruiz Rosas
Prof. Dr. Juana María Rosas
Dr. Francisco José García-Mateos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

polymeric nanofibers
smart nanotextiles
nanocomposites
electrocatalysts
catalyst
carbon materials
energy storage
adsorption
electronic applications
biomedical applications
environmental protection

Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 5657 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comprehensive Characterization of PVDF Nanofibers at Macro- and Nanolevel

by Tatiana Pisarenko, Nikola Papež, Dinara Sobola, Ştefan Ţălu, Klára Částková, Pavel Škarvada, Robert Macků, Erik Ščasnovič and Jaroslav Kaštyl

Polymers 2022, 14(3), 593; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14030593 - 01 Feb 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2993

Abstract

This study is focused on the characterization and investigation of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers from the point of view of macro- and nanometer level. The fibers were produced using electrostatic spinning process in air. Two types of fibers were produced since the collector speed (300 rpm and 2000 rpm) differed as the only one processing parameter. Differences in fiber’s properties were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with cross-sections observation utilizing focused ion beam (FIB). The phase composition was determined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The crystallinity was determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and chemical analysis of fiber’s surfaces and bonding states were studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Other methods, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM), were employed to describe morphology and piezoelectric response of single fiber, respectively. Moreover, the wetting behavior (hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity) was also studied. It was found that collector speed significantly affects fibers alignment and wettability (directionally ordered fibers produced at 2000 rpm almost super-hydrophobic in comparison with disordered fibers spun at 300 rpm with hydrophilic behavior) as properties at macrolevel. However, it was confirmed that these differences at the macrolevel are closely connected and originate from nanolevel attributes. The study of single individual fibers revealed some protrusions on the fiber’s surface, and fibers spun at 300 rpm had a core-shell design, while fibers spun at 2000 rpm were hollow. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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22 pages, 9780 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Molecular Weight and Nanoarchitecture of Chitosan and Polycaprolactone Electrospun Membranes on Physicochemical and Hemocompatible Properties for Possible Wound Dressing

by Maria Oviedo, Yuliet Montoya, Wilson Agudelo, Alejandra García-García and John Bustamante

Polymers 2021, 13(24), 4320; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13244320 - 10 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2252

Abstract

Tissue engineering has focused on the development of biomaterials that emulate the native extracellular matrix. Therefore, the purpose of this research was oriented to the development of nanofibrillar bilayer membranes composed of polycaprolactone with low and medium molecular weight chitosan, evaluating their physicochemical and biological properties. Two-bilayer membranes were developed by an electrospinning technique considering the effect of chitosan molecular weight and parameter changes in the technique. Subsequently, the membranes were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform spectroscopy, stress tests, permeability, contact angle, hemolysis evaluation, and an MTT test. From the results, it was found that changes in the electrospinning parameters and the molecular weight of chitosan influence the formation, fiber orientation, and nanoarchitecture of the membranes. Likewise, it was evidenced that a higher molecular weight of chitosan in the bilayer membranes increases the stiffness and favors polar anchor points. This increased Young’s modulus, wettability, and permeability, which, in turn, influenced the reduction in the percentage of cell viability and hemolysis. It is concluded that the development of biomimetic bilayer nanofibrillar membranes modulate the physicochemical properties and improve the hemolytic behavior so they can be used as a hemocompatible biomaterial. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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19 pages, 8688 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling Experimental Parameters for the Fabrication of Multifunctional Surfaces Composed of Electrospun PCL/ZnO-NPs Nanofibers

by Pedro J. Rivero, Juan P. Fuertes, Adrián Vicente, Álvaro Mata, José F. Palacio, María Monteserín and Rafael Rodríguez

Polymers 2021, 13(24), 4312; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13244312 - 09 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2269

Abstract

In this work, a one-step electrospinning technique has been implemented for the design and development of functional surfaces with a desired morphology in terms of wettability and corrosion resistance by using polycaprolactone (PCL) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs). The surface morphology has been characterized by confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water contact angle (WCA), whereas the corrosion resistance has been evaluated by Tafel polarization curves. Strict control over the input operational parameters (applied voltage, feeding rate, distance tip to collector), PCL solution concentration and amount of ZnO NPs have been analyzed in depth by showing their key role in the final surface properties. With this goal in mind, a design of experiment (DoE) has been performed in order to evaluate the optimal coating morphology in terms of fiber diameter, surface roughness (Ra), water contact angle (WCA) and corrosion rate. It has been demonstrated that the solution concentration has a significant effect on the resultant electrospun structure obtained on the collector with the formation of beaded fibers with a higher WCA value in comparison with uniform bead-free fibers (dry polymer deposition or fiber-merging aspect). In addition, the presence of ZnO NPs distributed within the electrospun fibers also plays a key role in corrosion resistance, although it also leads to a decrease in the WCA. Finally, this is the first time that an exhaustive analysis by using DoE has been evaluated for PCL/ZnO electrospun fibers with the aim to optimize the surface morphology with the better performance in terms of corrosion resistance and wettability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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12 pages, 13226 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrospinning of a Copolymer PVDF-co-HFP Solved in DMF/Acetone: Explicit Relations among Viscosity, Polymer Concentration, DMF/Acetone Ratio and Mean Nanofiber Diameter

by Petr Filip, Jana Zelenkova and Petra Peer

Polymers 2021, 13(19), 3418; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13193418 - 05 Oct 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3554

Abstract

The process of electrospinning polymer solutions depends on many entry parameters, with each having a significant impact on the overall process and where complexity prevents the expression of their interplay. However, under the assumption that most parameters are fixed, it is possible to evaluate the mutual relations between pairs or triples of the chosen parameters. In this case, the experiments were carried out with a copolymer poly(vinylidene-co-hexafluoropropylene) solved in mixed N,N’-dimethylformamide (DMF)/acetone solvent for eight polymer concentrations (8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, and 27 wt.%) and five DMF/acetone ratios (1/0, 4/1, 2/1, 1/1, 1/2). Processing of the obtained data (viscosity, mean nanofiber diameter) aimed to determine algebraic expressions relating both to viscosity and a mean nanofiber diameter with polymer concentration, as well as DMF/acetone ratio. Moreover, a master curve relating these parameters with no fitting factors was proposed continuously covering a sufficiently broad range of concentration as well as DMF/acetone ratio. A comparison of algebraic evaluation with the experimental data seems to be very good (the mean deviation for viscosity was about 2%, while, for a mean nanofiber diameter was slightly less than 10%). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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15 pages, 8481 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Bacterial Control of Poly (Lactic Acid) Nanofibers Loaded with Plant-Derived Monoterpenoids via Emulsion Electrospinning

by Tahmineh Hemmatian, Kwon Ho Seo, Meltem Yanilmaz and Juran Kim

Polymers 2021, 13(19), 3405; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13193405 - 03 Oct 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2396

Abstract

Plant-derived monoterpenoids have been shown to possess various biological effects, providing a scientific basis for their potential usage as antibacterial agents. Therefore, considering problems surrounding bacteria′s antibacterial resistance, the utilization of natural antimicrobial compounds such as monoterpenoids in different industries has gained much attention. The aim of this study was to fabricate and characterize various concentrations of plant-derived monoterpenoids, geraniol (G) and carvacrol (C), loaded into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibers via emulsion electrospinning. The antibacterial activities of the fabricated nanofibers were evaluated using three types of antibacterial assays (inhibition zone tests, live/dead bacterial cell assays, and antibacterial kinetic growth assays). Among the samples, 10 wt% carvacrol-loaded PLA nanofibers (C10) had the most bactericidal activity, with the widest inhibition zone of 5.26 cm and the highest visible dead bacteria using the inhibition zone test and live/dead bacterial cell assay. In order to quantitatively analyze the antibacterial activities of 5 wt% carvacrol-loaded PLA nanofibers (C5), C10, 5 wt% geraniol-loaded PLA nanofibers (G5), and 10 wt% geraniol-loaded PLA nanofibers (G10) against E. coli and S.epidermidis, growth kinetic curves were analyzed using OD₆₀₀. For the results, we found that the antibacterial performance was as follows: C10 > C5 > G10 > G5. Overall, carvacrol or geraniol-loaded PLA nanofibers are promising antibacterial materials for improving fiber functionality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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15 pages, 2868 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development, Investigation, and Comparative Study of the Effects of Various Metal Oxides on Optical Electrochemical Properties Using a Doped PANI Matrix

by Amina Bekhoukh, Imane Moulefera, Lilia Sabantina and Abdelghani Benyoucef

Polymers 2021, 13(19), 3344; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13193344 - 29 Sep 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2394

Abstract

A comparative study was performed in order to analyze the effect of metal oxide (MO) on the properties of a polymeric matrix. In this study, polyaniline (PANI)@Al₂O₃, PANI@TiC, and PANI@TiO₂ nanocomposites were synthesized using in situ polymerization with ammonium persulfate as an oxidant. The prepared materials were characterized by various analytical methods such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV/visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Furthermore, the conductive properties of the materials were tested using the four-point probe method. The presence of MO in the final product was confirmed by XPS, XRD, FTIR, and TEM, while spectroscopic characterization revealed interactions between the MOs and PANI. The results showed that the thermal stability was improved when the MO was incorporated into the polymeric matrix. Moreover, the results revealed that incorporating TiO₂ into the PANI matrix improves the optical bandgap of the nanocomposite and decreases electrical conductivity compared to other conducting materials. Furthermore, the electrochemical properties of the hybrid nanocomposites were tested by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD). The obtained results suggest that the PANI@TiO₂ nanocomposite could be a promising electrode material candidate for high-performance supercapacitor applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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12 pages, 3645 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrostrictive and Structural Properties of Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride-Hexafluoropropylene) Composite Nanofibers Filled with Polyaniline (Emeraldine Base)

by Nikruesong Tohluebaji, Chatchai Putson, Nantakan Muensit and Jureeporn Yuennan

Polymers 2021, 13(19), 3250; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13193250 - 24 Sep 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1931

Abstract

Previous studies have reported that poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (P(VDF-HFP)) copolymers can exhibit large electrostrictive strains depending on the filler. This work examines the electrostrictive and structural properties of P(VDF-HFP) nanofibers modified with conductive polymer polyaniline (PANI). The P(VDF-HFP)/PANI composite nanofibers were prepared by an electrospinning method with different PANI concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 3 and 5 wt.%). The average diameter, water contact angle and element were analyzed by SEM, WCA and EDX, respectively. The crystalline, phase structure and mechanical properties were investigated by XRD, FTIR and DMA, respectively. The dielectric properties and electrostrictive behavior were also studied. The results demonstrated that the composite nanofibers exhibited uniform fibers without any bead formation, and the WCA decreased with increasing amount of PANI. However, a high dielectric constant and electromechanical response were obtained. The electrostrictive coefficient, crystalline, phase structure, dielectric properties and interfacial charge distributions increased in relation to the PANI content. Moreover, this study indicates that P(VDF-HFP)/PANI composite nanofibers may represent a promising route for obtaining electrostrictive composite nanofibers for actuation applications, microelectromechanical systems and sensors based on electrostrictive phenomena. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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18 pages, 8415 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrospun Shape-Stabilized Phase Change Materials Based on Photo-Crosslinked Polyethylene Oxide

by Giulia Fredi, Parnian Kianfar, Sara Dalle Vacche, Alessandro Pegoretti and Alessandra Vitale

Polymers 2021, 13(17), 2979; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13172979 - 02 Sep 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2555

Abstract

Phase change materials (PCMs) in the form of fibers or fibrous mats with exceptional thermal energy storage ability and tunable working temperature are of high interest to produce smart thermoregulating textiles, useful for increasing human thermal comfort while avoiding energy waste. Common organic PCMs suffer from instability in their molten state, which limits their applicability as highly performing fibrous systems. In this work, electrospun fibrous mats made of polyethylene oxide (PEO), a PCM with excellent thermal properties and biocompatibility, were fabricated and their shape instability in the molten state was improved through UV photo-crosslinking. The characterization aimed to assess the performance of these shape-stable electrospun mats as nanofibrous PCMs for thermal management applications. In addition to an enhanced resistance to water-based solvents, UV-cured electrospun PEO mats demonstrated a remarkable latent heat (≈112 J/g), maintained over 80 heating/cooling cycles across the phase change temperature. Moreover, their morphological stability above their melting point was demonstrated both macroscopically and microscopically, with the retention of the initial nanofibrous morphology. Tensile mechanical tests demonstrated that the UV crosslinking considerably enhanced the ultimate properties of the fibrous mat, with a five-fold increase in both the tensile strength (from 0.15 MPa to 0.74 MPa) and the strain at break (from 2.5% to 12.2%) compared to the uncrosslinked mat. In conclusion, the photo-crosslinked electrospun PEO material exhibited high thermal properties and good shape stability without displaying leakage; accordingly, in the proposed PCM system, the necessity for encapsulation or use of a supporting layer has been eliminated. Photo-crosslinking thus proved itself as an effective, fast, and environmentally friendly method to dramatically improve the shape-stability of nanofibrous PEO electrospun mats for smart thermoregulating textiles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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21 pages, 4598 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rubbery-Modified CFRPs with Improved Mode I Fracture Toughness: Effect of Nanofibrous Mat Grammage and Positioning on Tanδ Behaviour

by Emanuele Maccaferri, Laura Mazzocchetti, Tiziana Benelli, Tommaso Maria Brugo, Andrea Zucchelli and Loris Giorgini

Polymers 2021, 13(12), 1918; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13121918 - 09 Jun 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2585

Abstract

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) are widely used where high mechanical performance and lightweight are required. However, they suffer from delamination and low damping, severely affecting laminate reliability during the service life of components. CFRP laminates modified by rubbery nanofibers interleaving is a recently introduced way to increase material damping and to improve delamination resistance. In this work, nitrile butadiene rubber/poly(ε-caprolactone) (NBR/PCL) blend rubbery nanofibrous mats with 60 wt% NBR were produced in three different mat grammages (5, 10 and 20 g/m²) via single-needle electrospinning and integrated into epoxy CFRP laminates. The investigation demonstrated that both mat grammage and positioning affect CFRP tanδ behaviour, evaluated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) tests, as well as the number of nano-modified interleaves. Double cantilever beam (DCB) tests were carried out to assess the mat grammage effect on the interlaminar fracture toughness. Results show an outstanding improvement of G_I,R for all the tested reinforced laminates regardless of the mat grammage (from +140% to +238%), while the effect on G_I,C is more dependent on it (up to +140%). The obtained results disclose the great capability of NBR/PCL rubbery nanofibrous mats at improving CFRP damping and interlaminar fracture toughness. Moreover, CFRP damping can be tailored by choosing the number and positioning of the nano-modified interleaves, besides choosing the mat grammage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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11 pages, 15058 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Estimate of the Onset of Beadless Character of Electrospun Nanofibers Using Rheological Characterization

by Petra Peer, Jana Zelenkova, Petr Filip and Lenka Lovecka

Polymers 2021, 13(2), 265; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13020265 - 14 Jan 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1910

Abstract

Electrospinning represents the very effective process of producing nanofibrous mats. This process is influenced by a number of mutually and strongly interlaced entry parameters (characteristics of polymer, solvent, process parameters) and their participation in the resulting nanofiber quality. The appearance of nanofibers is a result of the necessary primary experimental parameter setting within an acceptable range. However, finer analysis of nanofiber quality depends on the proper choice of these individual factors. The aim of this contribution is to evaluate one of the key factors—polymer concentration—with respect to the presence or absence of bead formation. This passage can be approximated by rheological oscillatory measurements when a sudden decrease in phase angle indicates this change. It replaces otherwise time- and cost-consuming trial-and-error experiments. This approach was tested using three different materials: solutions of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene), poly(vinyl butyral), and poly(ethylene oxide). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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Review

Jump to: Research

39 pages, 69822 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on Electrospun Nanofibers Based Advanced Applications: From Health Care to Energy Devices

by Vundrala Sumedha Reddy, Yilong Tian, Chuanqi Zhang, Zhen Ye, Kallol Roy, Amutha Chinnappan, Seeram Ramakrishna, Wei Liu and Rituparna Ghosh

Polymers 2021, 13(21), 3746; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13213746 - 29 Oct 2021

Cited by 56 | Viewed by 5980

Abstract

Electrospun nanofibers have been exploited in multidisciplinary fields with numerous applications for decades. Owing to their interconnected ultrafine fibrous structure, high surface-to-volume ratio, tortuosity, permeability, and miniaturization ability along with the benefits of their lightweight, porous nanofibrous structure, they have been extensively utilized in various research fields for decades. Electrospun nanofiber technologies have paved unprecedented advancements with new innovations and discoveries in several fields of application including energy devices and biomedical and environmental appliances. This review article focused on providing a comprehensive overview related to the recent advancements in health care and energy devices while emphasizing on the importance and uniqueness of utilizing nanofibers. A brief description regarding the effect of electrospinning techniques, setup modifications, and parameters optimization on the nanofiber morphology was also provided. The article is concluded with a short discussion on current research challenges and future perspectives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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41 pages, 4047 KiB

Open AccessReview

Application of Electrospun Nanofibers for Fabrication of Versatile and Highly Efficient Electrochemical Devices: A Review

by Seyedeh Nooshin Banitaba and Andrea Ehrmann

Polymers 2021, 13(11), 1741; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13111741 - 26 May 2021

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5063

Abstract

Electrochemical devices convert chemical reactions into electrical energy or, vice versa, electricity into a chemical reaction. While batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, solar cells, and sensors belong to the galvanic cells based on the first reaction, electrolytic cells are based on the reversed process and used to decompose chemical compounds by electrolysis. Especially fuel cells, using an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen with an oxidizing agent to produce electricity, and electrolytic cells, e.g., used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, are of high interest in the ongoing search for production and storage of renewable energies. This review sheds light on recent developments in the area of electrospun electrochemical devices, new materials, techniques, and applications. Starting with a brief introduction into electrospinning, recent research dealing with electrolytic cells, batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, electrochemical solar cells, and electrochemical sensors is presented. The paper concentrates on the advantages of electrospun nanofiber mats for these applications which are mostly based on their high specific surface area and the possibility to tailor morphology and material properties during the spinning and post-treatment processes. It is shown that several research areas dealing with electrospun parts of electrochemical devices have already reached a broad state-of-the-art, while other research areas have large space for future investigations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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14 pages, 11137 KiB

Open AccessReview

Electrospun Nanofiber Mats for Filtering Applications—Technology, Structure and Materials

by Al Mamun, Tomasz Blachowicz and Lilia Sabantina

Polymers 2021, 13(9), 1368; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13091368 - 22 Apr 2021

Cited by 56 | Viewed by 5767

Abstract

Air pollution is one of the biggest health and environmental problems in the world and a huge threat to human health on a global scale. Due to the great impact of respiratory viral infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung disease, and heart disease, respiratory allergies are increasing significantly every year. Because of the special properties of electrospun nanofiber mats, e.g., large surface-to-volume ratio and low basis weight, uniform size, and nanoporous structure, nanofiber mats are the preferred choice for use in large-scale air filtration applications. In this review, we summarize the significant studies on electrospun nanofiber mats for filtration applications, present the electrospinning technology, show the structure and mechanism of air filtration. In addition, an overview of current air filtration materials derived from bio- and synthetic polymers and blends is provided. Apart from this, the use of biopolymers in filtration applications is still relatively new and this field is still under-researched. The application areas of air filtration materials are discussed here and future prospects are summarized in conclusion. In order to develop new effective filtration materials, it is necessary to understand the interaction between technology, materials, and filtration mechanisms, and this study was intended to contribute to this effort. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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20 pages, 2026 KiB

Open AccessReview

Electrospun Carbon Nanofibers from Biomass and Biomass Blends—Current Trends

by Imane Moulefera, Marah Trabelsi, Al Mamun and Lilia Sabantina

Polymers 2021, 13(7), 1071; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13071071 - 29 Mar 2021

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 4607

Abstract

In recent years, ecological issues have led to the search for new green materials from biomass as precursors for producing carbon materials (CNFs). Such green materials are more attractive than traditional petroleum-based materials, which are environmentally harmful and non-biodegradable. Biomass could be ideal precursors for nanofibers since they stem from renewable sources and are low-cost. Recently, many authors have focused intensively on nanofibers’ production from biomass using microwave-assisted pyrolysis, hydrothermal treatment, ultrasonication method, but only a few on electrospinning methods. Moreover, still few studies deal with the production of electrospun carbon nanofibers from biomass. This review focuses on the new developments and trends of electrospun carbon nanofibers from biomass and aims to fill this research gap. The review is focusing on recollecting the most recent investigations about the preparation of carbon nanofiber from biomass and biopolymers as precursors using electrospinning as the manufacturing method, and the most important applications, such as energy storage that include fuel cells, electrochemical batteries and supercapacitors, as well as wastewater treatment, CO₂ capture, and medicine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Nanofibers and Nanotextiles for High-Tech Applications)

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