Frontiers in Electrospun Nanofiber Design and Innovation

In the past few years, electrospun nanofibers have gotten a lot of interest because of their unique properties and wide range of uses (Cai et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2012). According to the electrospinning principle, electrospun nanofibers are made by applying a high voltage to a polymer solution or melt. This creates a charged jet that is then pulled into fine threads (Xu, 2018).

The voltage, the viscosity of the solution, and the distance between the spinneret and the collection are some of the most important factors that determine the shape and properties of electrospun nanofibers (Peresin et al., 2010; Kim et al., 2016; Kong et al., 2011). The charged jet bends unevenly after only a short distance during the electrospinning process. This lets an extremely high draw ratio (the ratio of the starting jet diameter to the final fiber diameter) of up to 60,000 happen in milliseconds (Cai et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2012) happen. The jet quickly gets longer and thinner, which makes nanofibers with sizes from a few nanometers to several hundred nanometers (Vrieze et al., 2010; Jiang et al., 2014).

It is possible to change the chemicals that make up electrospun nanofibers by using various polymers or blends, or by adding useful ingredients like nanoparticles or active compounds (Zhao et al., 2016; Wu et al., 2013; Hsiao et al., 2011). Because different materials can be used, nanofibers can be made that have many different qualities, such as a lot of surface area, holes, and strength (Molnár & Nagy, 2016; Cho et al., 2012).

Nanofibers that are electrospun have been used in many areas, such as filtration, tissue engineering, and sensor creation (Zheng et al., 2010; Yu et al., 2014; Ryu et al., 2015). Electrospun nanofiber mats have a lot of surface area and holes, which makes them good at filtering out dust, gases, and other pollutants from water and air (Chen et al., 2016; Xie & Zeng, 2012; Nayak et al., 2012). In tissue engineering, electrospun nanofibers are useful for making tissue scaffolding because they have a structure that is similar to the extracellular matrix, are biocompatible, and can help cells grow (Yu et al., 2014; Yu et al., 2011; Wen et al., 2016). Electrospun nanofibers’ large surface area and great sensitivity have also been used to make many types of sensors, including chemical and biological sensors (Ryu et al., 2015; Sun et al., 2010; Fatimah et al., 2020).

Electrospun nanofibers are a type of nanomaterials that can be made with a lot of different morphological, chemical, and functional qualities. This means that they can be used in many different fields, such as sensing, filtration, and tissue engineering (Mokhtari et al., 2017).

References

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