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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2023) | Viewed by 22914

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Dr. Davood Kharaghani

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Department of Calcified Tissue Biology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Interests: nanofibers; electrospining; tissue engineering
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Dear Colleagues,

Nanofibers are superior candidates for various applications due to their high surface-to-volume ratio and porosity. This feature of nanofibers can promote their application in products and make them an ideal architecture for biological, sensors, batteries, and filters application. In recent years, the number of publications related to nanofibers has increased, suggesting the importance and impact of nanofibers in various fields. This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality original research works and specialized review articles on a wide range of topics in Advanced Electrospinning Fibers for various applications, including health science, tissue engineering, sensors, and batteries using polymeric nanofibers.

Dr. Davood Kharaghani
Guest Editor

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Keywords

electrospinning
nanofibers
advanced nanofibers
tissue engineering
sensors
batteries
filtration

Related Special Issue

Advanced Electrospinning Fibers II in Polymers (1 article)

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 3576 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrospinning Evolution Derived from TRIZ Theory for Directly Writing Patterned Nanofibers

by Yuchao Wu, Zhanghong Liu, Hongtao Wu, Kai Zhang and Qingjie Liu

Polymers 2023, 15(14), 3091; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15143091 - 19 Jul 2023

Viewed by 963

Abstract

Nanofibers (NFs) have the advantages of tremendous flexibility, small size and a high surface-to-weight ratio and are widely used in sensors, drug carriers and filters. Patterned NFs have expanded their application fields in tissue engineering and electronics. Electrospinning (ES) is widely used to prepare nonwoven NFs by stretching polymer solution jets with electric forces. However, patterned NFs cannot be easily fabricated using ordinary ES methods: the process gradually deteriorates them as repulsion effects between the deposited NFs and the incoming ones increase while residual charges in the fibers accumulate. Repulsion effects are unavoidable because charges in the polymer solution jets are the fundamental forces that are meant to stretch the jets into NFs. TRIZ theory is an effective innovation method for resolving conflicts and eliminating contradictions. Based on the material–field model and the contradiction matrix of TRIZ theory, we propose a strategy to improve ES devices, neutralizing the charges retained in NFs by alternating the current power of the correct frequency, thus successfully fabricating patterned NFs with clear boundaries and good continuity. This study demonstrates a strategy for resolving conflicts in innovation processes based on TRIZ theory and fabricating patterned NFs for potential applications in flexible electronics and wearable sensors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Electrospinning Fibers)

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14 pages, 13976 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Controlling Nano-to-Microscale Multilevel Architecture in Polymeric Microfibers through Polymerization-Induced Spontaneous Phase Separation

by Maya Molco, Amir Keilin, Adira Lunken, Shiran Ziv Sharabani, Mark Chkhaidze, Nicole Edelstein-Pardo, Tomer Reuveni and Amit Sitt

Polymers 2023, 15(11), 2537; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15112537 - 31 May 2023

Viewed by 1377

Abstract

Hierarchically structured polymeric fibers, composed of structural nanoscale motifs that assemble into a microscale fiber are frequently found in natural fibers including cellulose and silk. The creation of synthetic fibers with nano-to-microscale hierarchical structures represents a promising avenue for the development of novel fabrics with distinctive physical, chemical, and mechanical characteristics. In this work, we introduce a novel approach for creating polyamine-based core–sheath microfibers with controlled hierarchical architectures. This approach involves a polymerization-induced spontaneous phase separation and subsequent chemical fixation. Through the use of various polyamines, the phase separation process can be manipulated to produce fibers with diverse porous core architectures, ranging from densely packed nanospheres to segmented “bamboo-stem” morphology. Moreover, the nitrogen-rich surface of the core enables both the chemisorption of heavy metals and the physisorption of proteins and enzymes. Our method offers a new set of tools for the production of polymeric fibers with novel hierarchical morphologies, which has a high potential for a wide range of applications such as filtering, separation, and catalysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Electrospinning Fibers)

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17 pages, 21250 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CuNi Alloy NPs Anchored on Electrospun PVDF-HFP NFs Catalyst for H₂ Production from Sodium Borohydride

by Ahmed Abutaleb

Polymers 2023, 15(3), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15030474 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2386

Abstract

Non-noble Cu_xNi_1−x (x = 0, 0.1, 0,2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1) alloy nanoparticles supported on poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofibers (NFs) are successfully fabricated. The fabrication process is executed through an electrospinning technique and in situ reduction in Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ salts. The as-synthesized catalysts are characterized using standard physiochemical techniques. They demonstrate the formation of bimetallic NiCu alloy supported on PVDF-HFP. The introduced bimetals show better catalytic activity for sodium borohydride (SBH) hydrolysis to produce H₂, as compared to monometallic counterparts. The Cu_0.7 Ni_0.3/PVDF-HFP catalyst possesses the best catalytic performance in SBH hydrolysis as compared to the others bimetallic formulations. The kinetics studies indicate that the reaction is zero order and first order with respect to SBH concentration and catalyst amount, respectively. Furthermore, low activation energy (Ea = 27.81 kJ/mol) for the hydrolysis process of SBH solution is obtained. The excellent catalytic activity is regarded as the synergistic effects between Ni and Cu resulting from geometric effects over electronic effects and uniform distribution of bimetallic NPs. Furthermore, the catalyst displays a satisfying stability for five cycles for SBH hydrolysis. The activity has retained 93% from the initial activity. The introduced catalyst has broad prospects for commercial applications because of easy fabrication and lability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Electrospinning Fibers)

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17 pages, 7229 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Liquid Oil Trapped inside PVA Electrospun Microcapsules

by David Mínguez-García, Noel Breve, Lucía Capablanca, Marilés Bonet-Aracil, Pablo Díaz-García and Jaime Gisbert-Payá

Polymers 2022, 14(23), 5242; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14235242 - 1 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1728

Abstract

Electrospinning makes it possible to obtain solid fibers, in addition to core-shell fibers, using coextrusion. However, an exhaustive control of parameters allows the core-shell fibers from emulsion electrospinning to be obtained. The solvent in the outer surface tends to evaporate and the polymer density increases, moving the emulsion drops towards the center, which in turn promotes coalescence, thus creating the core. The aim of this work was to avoid coalescence and obtain a net of nanofibers entrapping oil microcapsules. We obtained an emulsion oil in water (O/W), with polyvinyl alcohol (W) and two essential oils (O), sage and thyme. An electrospinning process was used to place the microcapsules of oil inside a net of nanofibers. The electrospun veil was characterized by organoleptic testing, SEM microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, DSC thermal analysis, and pressure tests. Organoleptic testing, FTIR spectroscopy, and DSC thermal analysis demonstrated the presence of the oil, which was retained in the spheres observed by SEM microscopy, while pressure tests revealed that the oil remained in a liquid state. Furthermore, we demonstrated a strong relationship between the emulsion size and the final microcapsules created, which are slightly larger due to the shell formation. The size of the emulsion determines whether the spheres will be independent or embedded in the nanofibers. Furthermore, the nanofiber diameter was considerably reduced compared to the nanofibers without the oil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Electrospinning Fibers)

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14 pages, 5592 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrospinning of n-hemin/PAN Nanocomposite Membranes and Its Photo-Enhanced Enzyme-like Catalysis

by Xu Han, Yun Tao, Chao Xu, Yicong Deng, Zisen Meng, Zhenhao Dou, Peng Wang and Quan Feng

Polymers 2022, 14(23), 5135; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14235135 - 25 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1151

Abstract

Hemin possesses great potential in eliminating organic pollutants due to its mild reaction condition, light-harvesting efficiency, and environmental friendliness. However, it has drawbacks such as being easy to aggregate and hard to recycle, and poor stability should be improved in practical application. Herein, the subject developed an electrospinning approach to enable the hemin particulates to be immobilized onto polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers stably. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was adopted as an oxidant in the system to simulate the enzymatic catalysis of hemin in an organism. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS), and electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) analysis was employed to discuss the morphology, structure, and mechanism of the prepared n-hemin/PAN nanocomposite membranes, and 0.02 mmol L⁻¹ of the rhodamine B (RhB) removal activity in different conditions was also verified with these membranes. The kinetic studies showed that n-hemin/PAN nanocomposite membranes maintained excellent properties both in adsorption and degradation. Around 42% RhB could be adsorbed in the dark, while 91% RhB decolorized under xenon lamp irradiation in 110 min, suggesting the catalytic performance of n-hemin/PAN was greatly driven by light irradiation. Differing from the axial coordinated hemin complexes, n-hemin/PAN would catalyze hydrogen peroxide into •OH radicals rather than •OOH and high-valent metal-oxo species. This work provides an effective way to support hemin as nanocomposite membranes, in which the molecular interaction between polymer and hemin made their light adsorption an obvious red shift. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Electrospinning Fibers)

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16 pages, 6453 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation of Nanofiber Bundles via Electrospinning Immiscible Polymer Blend for Oil/Water Separation and Air Filtration

by Yin Tang, Tang Zhu, Zekai Huang, Zheng Tang, Lukun Feng, Hao Zhang, Dongdong Li, Yankun Xie and Caizhen Zhu

Polymers 2022, 14(21), 4722; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214722 - 4 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1459

Abstract

Nanofiber bundles with specific areas bring a new opportunity for selective adsorption and oil/water or air separation. In this work, nanofiber bundles were prepared by the electrospinning of immiscible polystyrene (PS)/N-trifluoroacetylated polyamide 6 (PA6-TFAA) blends via the introduction of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or a copolymer of styrene and 3-isopropenyl-α, α’-dimethylbenzene isocyanate (TMI), which was denoted as PS-co-TMI. Herein, CNT was used to increase the conductivity of the precursor for enhancing the stretch of PS droplets under the same electric field, and PS-co-TMI was used as a reactive compatibilizer to improve the compatibility of a PS/PA6-TFAA blend system for promoting the deformation. Those obtained nanofiber bundle membranes showed an increase in tensile strength and high hydrophobicity with a water contact angle of about 145.0 ± 0.5°. Owing to the special structure, the membranes also possessed a high oil adsorption capacity of 31.0 to 61.3 g/g for different oils. Moreover, it exhibits a high potential for gravity-driven oil/water separation. For example, those membranes had above 99% separation efficiency for silicon oil/water and paraffin wax/water. Furthermore, the air filtration efficiency of nanofiber bundle membranes could reach above 96%, which might be two to six times higher than the filtration efficiency of neat PS membranes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Electrospinning Fibers)

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12 pages, 4876 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Properties of Electrospun PLLA/PTMC Scaffolds

by Dengbang Jiang, Haoying Zou, Heng Zhang, Wan Zhao, Yaozhong Lan and Mingwei Yuan

Polymers 2022, 14(20), 4406; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14204406 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1467

Abstract

Poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and PLLA/poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) scaffolds characterised by different PLLA:PTMC mass ratios (10:0, 9:1, 8:2, 7:3, 6:4 and 5:5) were prepared via electrospinning. The results showed that increasing the PTMC content in the spinning solution caused the following effects: (1) the diameter of the prepared PLLA/PTMC electrospun fibres gradually increased from 188.12 ± 48.87 nm (10:0) to 584.01 ± 60.68 nm (5:5), (2) electrospun fibres with uniform diameters and no beads could be prepared at the PTMC contents of >30%, (3) the elastic modulus of the fibre initially increased and then decreased, reaching a maximum value of 74.49 ± 8.22 Mpa (5:5) and (4) the elongation at the breaking point of the fibres increased gradually from 24.71% to 344.85%. Compared with the PLLA electrospun fibrous membrane, the prepared PLLA/PTMC electrospun fibrous membrane exhibited considerably improved mechanical properties while maintaining good histocompatibility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Electrospinning Fibers)

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15 pages, 5884 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Triple Crosslinking Strategy on Carbon Nanofiber Membranes as Flexible Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

by Hang Xu, Xinran Hou, Man Gong, Changshu Yang, Jinpeng Luo, Yuluo Chen, Lei Ma, Lang Zhou, Chuanqiang Yin and Xiaomin Li

Polymers 2022, 14(17), 3528; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14173528 - 28 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1386

Abstract

In order to solve the problem of low electrical conductivity of carbon nanofiber membranes, a novel triple crosslinking strategy, including pre-rolling, solvent and chemical imidization crosslinking, was proposed to prepare carbon nanofiber membranes with a chemical crosslinking structure (CNMs-CC) derived from electrospinning polyimide nanofiber membranes. The physical-chemical characteristics of CNMs-CC as freestanding anodes for lithium-ion batteries were investigated in detail, along with carbon nanofiber membranes without a crosslinking structure (CNMs) and carbon nanofiber membranes with a physical crosslinking structure (CNMs-PC) as references. Further investigation demonstrates that CNMs-CC exhibits excellent rate performance and long cycle stability, compared with CNMs and CNMs-PC. At 50 mA g⁻¹, CNMs-CC delivers a reversible specific capacity of 495 mAh g⁻¹. In particular, the specific capacity of CNMs-CC is still as high as 290.87 mAh g⁻¹ and maintains 201.38 mAh g⁻¹ after 1000 cycles at a high current density of 1 A g⁻¹. The excellent electrochemical performance of the CNMs-CC is attributed to the unique crosslinking structure derived from the novel triple crosslinking strategy, which imparts fast electron transfer and ion diffusion kinetics, as well as a stable structure that withstands repeated impacts of ions during charging and discharging process. Therefore, CNMs-CC shows great potential to be the freestanding electrodes applied in the field of flexible lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors owing to the optimized structure strategy and improved properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Electrospinning Fibers)

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16 pages, 5397 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of PVA–Psyllium Husk Meshes via Emulsion Electrospinning: Preparation, Characterization, and Antibacterial Activity

by Fatma Nur Parın, Azeem Ullah, Ayşenur Yeşilyurt, Uğur Parın, Md. Kaiser Haider and Davood Kharaghani

Polymers 2022, 14(7), 1490; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14071490 - 6 Apr 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2608

Abstract

In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and psyllium husk (PSH)/D-limonene electrospun meshes were produced by emulsion electrospinning for use as substrates to prevent the growth of bacteria. D-limonene and modified microcrystalline cellulose (mMCC) were preferred as antibacterial agents. SEM micrographs showed that PVA–PSH electrospun mesh with a 4% amount of D-limonene has the best average fiber distribution with 298.38 ± 62.8 nm. Moreover, the fiber morphology disrupts with the addition of 6% D-limonene. FT-IR spectroscopy was used to analyze the chemical structure between matrix–antibacterial agents (mMCC and D-limonene). Although there were some partial physical interactions in the FT-IR spectrum, no chemical reactions were seen between the matrixes and the antibacterial agents. The thermal properties of the meshes were determined using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The thermal stability of the samples increased with the addition of mMCC. Further, the PVA–PSH–mMCC mesh had the highest value of contact angle (81° ± 4.05). The antibacterial activity of functional meshes against Gram (−) (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram (+) bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) was specified based on a zone inhibition test. PPMD6 meshes had the highest antibacterial results with 21 mm, 16 mm, and 15 mm against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. While increasing the amount of D-limonene enhanced the antibacterial activity, it significantly decreased the amount of release in cases of excess D-limonene amount. Due to good fiber morphology, the highest D-limonene release value (83.1%) was observed in PPMD4 functional meshes. The developed functional meshes can be utilized as wound dressing material based on our data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Electrospinning Fibers)

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16 pages, 5149 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal Properties and Dynamic Characteristics of Electrospun Polylactide/Natural Rubber Fibers during Disintegration in Soil

by Yulia V. Tertyshnaya, Svetlana G. Karpova, Maria V. Podzorova, Anatoliy V. Khvatov and Maksim N. Moskovskiy

Polymers 2022, 14(5), 1058; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14051058 - 7 Mar 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2065

Abstract

In this work, PLA/NR electrospun fibers were used as substrates for growing basil. Thermal characteristics of initial samples and after 60 and 220 days of degradation were determined using differential scanning calorimetry. In the process of disintegration, the melting and glass transition temperatures in PLA/NR composites decreased, and in PLA fibers these values increased slightly. TGA analysis in an argon environment confirmed the effect of NR on the thermal degradation of PLA/NR fibers. After exposure to the soil for 220 days, the beginning of degradation shifted to the low-temperature region. The dynamic characteristics of the fibers were determined by the EPR method. A decrease in the correlation time of the probe-radical in comparison with the initial samples was shown. FTIR spectroscopy was used to analyze the chemical structure before and after degradation in soil. In PLA/NR fibrous substrates, there was a decrease in the intensity of the bands corresponding to the PLA matrix and the appearance of N-H C-N groups due to biodegradation by soil microorganisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Electrospinning Fibers)

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Review

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33 pages, 31151 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research Progress of Water Treatment Technology Based on Nanofiber Membranes

by Keyu Ji, Chengkun Liu, Haijun He, Xue Mao, Liang Wei, Hao Wang, Mengdi Zhang, Yutong Shen, Runjun Sun and Fenglei Zhou

Polymers 2023, 15(3), 741; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15030741 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5023

Abstract

In the field of water purification, membrane separation technology plays a significant role. Electrospinning has emerged as a primary method to produce nanofiber membranes due to its straightforward, low cost, functional diversity, and process controllability. It is possible to flexibly control the structural characteristics of electrospun nanofiber membranes as well as carry out various membrane material combinations to make full use of their various properties, including high porosity, high selectivity, and microporous permeability to obtain high-performance water treatment membranes. These water separation membranes can satisfy the fast and efficient purification requirements in different water purification applications due to their high filtration efficiency. The current research on water treatment membranes is still focused on creating high-permeability membranes with outstanding selectivity, remarkable antifouling performance, superior physical and chemical performance, and long-term stability. This paper reviewed the preparation methods and properties of electrospun nanofiber membranes for water treatment in various fields, including microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, and other special applications. Lastly, various antifouling technologies and research progress of water treatment membranes were discussed, and the future development direction of electrospun nanofiber membranes for water treatment was also presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Electrospinning Fibers)

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