Desired properties and corresponding improvement measures of electrospun nanofibers for membrane distillation, reinforcement, and self‐healing applications

Abstract

Electrospun nanofibers have promising properties and serve an important role in various applications ranging from biomedical engineering to mechanical engineering. Although electrospun nanofibers are not used worldwide, the limited research conducted thus far provides a rudimentary understanding of nanofibers and explores the potential areas that have attracted attention for commercialization. However, the lack of a comprehensive understanding of the properties of nanofibers in various applications severely limits their functionality. This review provides clear insights into modifying the morphology of nanofibers by adjusting various parameters to meet specific application requirements. Various applications, including membrane distillation, reinforcement, and self‐healing, and the corresponding desired properties are discussed in detail. Approaches for enhancing the application‐specific properties of electrospun nanofibers are also discussed. This discussion provides significant guidance for the design of novel electrospun composites with excellent properties. Finally, the challenges in research and the opportunities for future development are presented.

Enhanced Anti‐Wetting Methods of Hydrophobic Membrane for Membrane Distillation

“…[43d] Besides solvent type, the beaded nanofiber membrane could also be fabricated by controlling other electrospinning process parameters (e.g., applied voltage, polymer concentration, dope solution speed, etc.). [55][56][57] Besides, Guo et al [47h] also prepared the beaded nanofiber membrane using electrospinning-co-electrospray. The nanofibers and nanobeads were formed via electrospinning using 15% PVDF-HFP dope solution and electrospray using 5% PVDF-HFP dope solution, respectively.…”

Parametric optimization of poly(ether sulfone) electrospun membrane for effective oil/water separation

“…These properties enable the creation of both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) porous hierarchical structures. 2 Electrospinning is a manufacturing method using electric fields to create micro-and nanofibrous mats from polymer fibers. These mats have immense potential in various areas like tissue engineering, material chemistry, drug delivery, optical electronics, and filtration technology.…”

“…Among these, nanofibers have garnered growing interest in the field of nanotechnology due to their exceptional characteristics, including significant porosity, elevated aspect ratio, extensive surface area relative to volume, and diverse structural capabilities. These properties enable the creation of both two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) porous hierarchical structures 2 . Electrospinning is a manufacturing method using electric fields to create micro‐ and nanofibrous mats from polymer fibers.…”

Electrospun coaxial microfiber‐based water detecting sensor using expansion pressure mechanism

“…[ 4–6 ] The high surface‐to‐volume ratio of the microfiber is beneficial for drug loading and cell attachment in biological research and its superior detecting rate for sensors. [ 7–10 ]…”

“…[4][5][6] The high surface-to-volume ratio of the microfiber is beneficial for drug loading and cell attachment in biological research and its superior detecting rate for sensors. [7][8][9][10] The electrospinning equipment consists of a tube with a polymer solution, nozzle, high-voltage source, and collector. The physical properties of electrospun fibers depend on several factors, including the applied voltage, solution concentration, and flow rate.…”