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Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites

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A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "2D and Carbon Nanomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 46701

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Prof. Dr. Carmen García-Payo

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Department of Structure of Matter, Thermal Physics and Electronics, Faculty of Physics, University Complutense of Madrid, Avda. Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: nanofibrous membranes; thin film composite membrane; wastewater; desalination; brine solutions; membrane distillation; forward osmosis; microfiltration; nanofiltration
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I have been asked by the Editor of Nanomaterials (MDPI) to coordinate a Special Issue entitled “Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites”.

This Special Issue is motivated by the observed growing interests on the design, fabrication, modification, and application of electrospun nanofibers and nanocomposites. Electrospinning technology has been widely used in the preparation of a wide range of nanoscale fibers for applications such as high-strength composite materials, nanoelectronics, sensors, biomedical application, drug delivery, food packaging, catalysis, membrane filtration, and energy applications (energy conversion/storage).

The rapidly developing technique of electrospinning has gained a surging research interest since its reinvention in 1990s due to its capability of yielding continuous fibers with diameters down to the nanometer scale, from a single needle spinning process to coaxial needle, multi-needle or the advanced bubble spinning technique. Electrospun nanofibers have comprehensive advantages such as continuity, diverse material choice, controlled diameter/structure, possible alignment/assembly, three-dimensional (3D) fibrous structures, mass production capability and can also be used as a platform for multifunctional, hierarchically organized nanocomposite.

In general, this Special Issue is oriented toward all types of nanofibers and nanocomposites materials, fabrication, characterization and modifications, innovations in materials, and improvements in electrospinning technology and process control to allow consistent production of nanofiber mats, and advanced multiple functionalities (physical, chemical, and biological functionalities) in order to obtain novel nanofiber and nanocomposite materials.

Considering your prominent contribution in this interesting research field, I would like to cordially invite you to submit a paper to this Special Issue through the webpage of the journal (S.I. Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites). The manuscript should be submitted online before 31 March 2021. The submitted manuscripts will then be fast-track reviewed. I would very much appreciate it if you could inform me of your interest in a paper contribution at your earliest convenience. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Carmen García-Payo
Guest Editor

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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. Nanomaterials 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 2900 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

Electrospinning
Nanofiber
Nanocomposite
Hollow nanofiber/nanotube
Surface modification
Electrospinning process parameters
Hybrid composites
Functional composites
Smart materials

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 4165 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrospun Nanostructured Membrane Engineering Using Reverse Osmosis Recycled Modules: Membrane Distillation Application

by Jorge Contreras-Martínez, Carmen García-Payo and Mohamed Khayet

Nanomaterials 2021, 11(6), 1601; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11061601 - 18 Jun 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2472

Abstract

As a consequence of the increase in reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plants, the number of discarded RO modules for 2020 was estimated to be 14.8 million annually. Currently, these discarded modules are disposed of in nearby landfills generating high volumes of waste. In order to extend their useful life, in this research study, we propose recycling and reusing the internal components of the discarded RO modules, membranes and spacers, in membrane engineering for membrane distillation (MD) technology. After passive cleaning with a sodium hypochlorite aqueous solution, these recycled components were reused as support for polyvinylidene fluoride nanofibrous membranes prepared by electrospinning technique. The prepared membranes were characterized by different techniques and, finally, tested in desalination of high saline solutions (brines) by direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). The effect of the electrospinning time, which is the same as the thickness of the nanofibrous layer, was studied in order to optimize the permeate flux together with the salt rejection factor and to obtain robust membranes with stable DCMD desalination performance. When the recycled RO membrane or the permeate spacer were used as supports with 60 min electrospinning time, good permeate fluxes were achieved, 43.2 and 18.1 kg m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively; with very high salt rejection factors, greater than 99.99%. These results are reasonably competitive compared to other supported and unsupported MD nanofibrous membranes. In contrast, when using the feed spacer as support, inhomogeneous structures were observed on the electrospun nanofibrous layer due to the special characteristics of this spacer resulting in low salt rejection factors and mechanical properties of the electrospun nanofibrous membrane. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites)

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13 pages, 3869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Electrospinning of Polymer Latexes: A Systematic Study of the Effect of Latex Properties on Fiber Morphology

by Edurne Gonzalez, Aitor Barquero, Belén Muñoz-Sanchez, María Paulis and Jose Ramon Leiza

Nanomaterials 2021, 11(3), 706; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11030706 - 11 Mar 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2266

Abstract

Green electrospinning is a relatively new promising technology in which a polymer (latex) can be spun from an aqueous dispersion with the help of a template polymer. This method is a green, clean and safe technology that is able to spin hydrophobic polymers using water as an electrospinning medium. In this article, a systematic study that investigates the influence of the template polymer molar mass, the total solids content of the initial dispersion and the particle/template ratio is presented. Furthermore, the influence of the surfactant used to stabilize the polymer particles, the surface functionality of the polymer particles and the use of a bimodal particle size distribution on the final fiber morphology is studied for the first time. In green electrospinning, the viscosity of the initial complex blend depends on the amount and molar mass of the template polymer but also on the total solids content of the dispersion to be spun. Thus, both parameters must be carefully taken into account in order to fine-tune the final fiber morphology. Additionally, the particle packing and the surface chemistry of the polymer particles also play an important role in the obtained nanofibers quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites)

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10 pages, 3356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Morphology and Mechanical Properties of 3Y-TZP Nanofiber Mats

by Alexander I. Tyurin, Vyacheslav V. Rodaev, Svetlana S. Razlivalova, Viktor V. Korenkov, Andrey O. Zhigachev, Vladimir M. Vasyukov and Yuri I. Golovin

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(11), 2097; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10112097 - 22 Oct 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1901

Abstract

The mats of yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia nanofibers were prepared using electrospinning. The effect of calcination temperature in the range of 600–1200 °C on their microstructure, phase composition and mechanical properties was investigated. Phase composition of the nanofibers did not change in all ranges of the calcination temperatures, while the average grain size increased from 8 to 39 nm. Nanoindentation testing of the mats showed a decrease in the hysteresis loop energy in samples with higher calcination temperature. Hardness and the elastic modulus measured with the indentation technique were the highest for the mats calcined at 900 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites)

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24 pages, 4213 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrospun Fibres with Hyaluronic Acid-Chitosan Nanoparticles Produced by a Portable Device

by Carla V. Fuenteslópez and Hua Ye

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(10), 2016; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10102016 - 13 Oct 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2312

Abstract

Electrospinning is a versatile technique to produce nano/microscale fibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. This research aims to demonstrate that hyaluronic acid-chitosan (HA-CS) nanoparticles can be electrospun together with polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatine (Ge) fibres using a portable device to create scaffolds for tissue repair. A range of polymer solutions of PCL-gelatine at different weight/volume concentrations and ratios were electrospun and characterised. Fibre–cell interaction (F11 cells) was evaluated based on cell viability and proliferation and, from here, a few polymer blends were electrospun into random or aligned fibre arrangements. HA-CS nanoparticles were synthesised, characterised, and used to functionalise electrospun fibres (8% w/v at 70 PCL:30 Ge), which were chosen based on cell viability. Different concentrations of HA-CS nanoparticles were tested to determine cytotoxicity. A single dosage (1 × 10⁻² mg/mL) was associated with higher cell proliferation compared with the cell-only control. This nanoparticle concentration was embedded into the electrospun fibres as either surface modification or blend. Fibres with blended NPs delivered a higher cell viability than unmodified fibres, while NP-coated fibres resulted in a higher cell proliferation (72 h) than the NP-blended ones. These biocompatible scaffolds allow cell attachment, maintain fibre arrangement, promote directional growth and yield higher cell viability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites)

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18 pages, 6035 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrospun PCL/PGS Composite Fibers Incorporating Bioactive Glass Particles for Soft Tissue Engineering Applications

by Marina Luginina, Katharina Schuhladen, Roberto Orrú, Giacomo Cao, Aldo R. Boccaccini and Liliana Liverani

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(5), 978; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10050978 - 19 May 2020

Cited by 46 | Viewed by 5047

Abstract

Poly(glycerol-sebacate) (PGS) and poly(epsilon caprolactone) (PCL) have been widely investigated for biomedical applications in combination with the electrospinning process. Among others, one advantage of this blend is its suitability to be processed with benign solvents for electrospinning. In this work, the suitability of PGS/PCL polymers for the fabrication of composite fibers incorporating bioactive glass (BG) particles was investigated. Composite electrospun fibers containing silicate or borosilicate glass particles (13-93 and 13-93BS, respectively) were obtained and characterized. Neat PCL and PCL composite electrospun fibers were used as control to investigate the possible effect of the presence of PGS and the influence of the bioactive glass particles. In fact, with the addition of PGS an increase in the average fiber diameter was observed, while in all the composite fibers, the presence of BG particles induced an increase in the fiber diameter distribution, without changing significantly the average fiber diameter. Results confirmed that the blended fibers are hydrophilic, while the addition of BG particles does not affect fiber wettability. Degradation test and acellular bioactivity test highlight the release of the BG particles from all composite fibers, relevant for all applications related to therapeutic ion release, i.e., wound healing. Because of weak interface between the incorporated BG particles and the polymeric fibers, mechanical properties were not improved in the composite fibers. Promising results were obtained from preliminary biological tests for potential use of the developed mats for soft tissue engineering applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites)

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12 pages, 4106 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of TiO₂/WO₃ Composite Nanofibers by a Water-Based Electrospinning Process and Their Application in Photocatalysis

by Vincent Otieno Odhiambo, Aizat Ongarbayeva, Orsolya Kéri, László Simon and Imre Miklós Szilágyi

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(5), 882; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10050882 - 02 May 2020

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3999

Abstract

TiO₂/WO₃ nanofibers were prepared in a one-step process by electrospinning. Titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactato)dihydroxide (TiBALDH) and ammonium metatungstate (AMT) were used as water-soluble Ti and W precursors, respectively. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and varying ratios of TiBALDH and AMT were dissolved in a mixture of H₂O, EtOH and CH₃COOH. The as-spun fibers were then heated in air at 1 °C min⁻¹ until 600 °C to form TiO₂/WO₃ composite nanofibers. Fiber characterization was done using TG/DTA, SEM–EDX, FTIR, XRD, and Raman. The annealed composite nanofibers had a diameter range of 130–1940 nm, and the results showed a growth in the fiber diameter with an increasing amount of WO₃. The photocatalytic property of the fibers was also checked for methyl orange bleaching in visible and UV light. In visible light, the photocatalytic activity increased with an increase in the ratio of AMT, while 50% TiBALDH composite fibers showed the highest activity among the as-prepared fibers in UV light. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites)

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12 pages, 4741 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A General Protocol for Electrospun Non-Woven Fabrics of Dialdehyde Cellulose and Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)

by Slavica Hell, Kousaku Ohkawa, Hassan Amer, Antje Potthast and Thomas Rosenau

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(4), 671; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10040671 - 02 Apr 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3031

Abstract

In the past two decades, research on electrospinning has boomed due to its advantages of simple process, small fiber diameter, and special physical and chemical properties. The electrospun fibers are collected in a non-woven state in most cases (electrospun non-woven fabrics, ESNWs), which renders the electrospinning method an optimum approach for non-woven fabric manufacturing on the nano-scale. The present study establishes a convenient preparation procedure for converting water-soluble dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) into DAC-based electrospun non-woven fabrics (ESNWs) reinforced with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The aldehyde content, which was quantified by colorimetry using Schiff’s reagent, was 11.1 mmol per gram of DAC, which corresponds to a conversion yield of ca. 90%. DAC is fully water-soluble at room temperature between 10 and 30 wt%, and aqueous solutions turn into hydrogels within 24 h. To overcome gelation, NaHSO₃, which forms bisulfite adducts with aldehyde functions, was added to the DAC and its concentration was optimized at 1 wt%. The electrospun (ES) dope containing 5 wt% DAC, 5 wt% PVA, and 1 wt% NaHSO₃ in an aqueous solution was successfully transformed into ESNW, with an average fiber diameter of 345 ± 43 nm. Post-spinning treatment with excess hexamethylene diisocyanate was performed to insolubilize the ESNW materials. The occurrence of this chemical conversion was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray elemental analysis and vibrational spectra. The cross-linked DAC/PVA ESNW retained its thin fiber network upon soaking in distilled water, increasing the average fiber diameter to 424 ± 95 nm. This suggests that DAC/PVA-ESNWs will be applicable for incorporation or immobilization of biologically active substances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites)

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16 pages, 3441 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-layer Scaffolds of Poly(caprolactone), Poly(glycerol sebacate) and Bioactive Glasses Manufactured by Combined 3D Printing and Electrospinning

by Adja B. R. Touré, Elisa Mele and Jamieson K. Christie

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(4), 626; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10040626 - 28 Mar 2020

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 4792

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has been combined with electrospinning to manufacture multi-layered polymer/glass scaffolds that possess multi-scale porosity, are mechanically robust, release bioactive compounds, degrade at a controlled rate and are biocompatible. Fibrous mats of poly (caprolactone) (PCL) and poly (glycerol sebacate) (PGS) have been directly electrospun on one side of 3D-printed grids of PCL-PGS blends containing bioactive glasses (BGs). The excellent adhesion between layers has resulted in composite scaffolds with a Young’s modulus of 240–310 MPa, higher than that of 3D-printed grids (125–280 MPa, without the electrospun layer). The scaffolds degraded in vitro by releasing PGS and BGs, reaching a weight loss of ~14% after 56 days of incubation. Although the hydrolysis of PGS resulted in the acidification of the buffer medium (to a pH of 5.3–5.4), the release of alkaline ions from the BGs balanced that out and brought the pH back to 6.0. Cytotoxicity tests performed on fibroblasts showed that the PCL-PGS-BGs constructs were biocompatible, with cell viability of above 125% at day 2. This study demonstrates the fabrication of systems with engineered properties by the synergy of diverse technologies and materials (organic and inorganic) for potential applications in tendon and ligament tissue engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites)

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Review

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23 pages, 7304 KiB

Open AccessReview

Electrospun Ceramic Nanofibers for Photocatalysis

by Yan Xing, Jing Cheng, Heping Li, Dandan Lin, Yuting Wang, Hui Wu and Wei Pan

Nanomaterials 2021, 11(12), 3221; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11123221 - 27 Nov 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2597

Abstract

Ceramic fiber photocatalysts fabricated by electrospinning hold great potential in alleviating global environmental and energy issues. However, many challenges remain in improving their photocatalytic efficiencies, such as the limited carrier lifetime and solar energy utilization. To overcome these predicaments, various smart strategies have been invented and realized in ceramic fiber photocatalysts. This review firstly attempts to summarize the fundamental principles and bottlenecks of photocatalytic processes. Subsequently, the approaches of doping, surface plasmon resonance, and up-conversion fluorescent to enlarge the light absorption range realized by precursor composition design, electrospinning parameter control, and proper post heat-treatment process are systematically introduced. Furthermore, methods and achievements of prolonging the lifetime of photogenerated carriers in electrospun ceramic fiber photocatalysts by means of introducing heterostructure and defective composition are reviewed in this article. This review ends with a summary and some perspectives on the future directions of ceramic fiber photocatalysts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites)

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22 pages, 66097 KiB

Open AccessReview

Peptide-Based Electrospun Fibers: Current Status and Emerging Developments

by Raffaella Bucci, Evangelos Georgilis, Alexander M. Bittner, Maria L. Gelmi and Francesca Clerici

Nanomaterials 2021, 11(5), 1262; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11051262 - 11 May 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3668

Abstract

Electrospinning is a well-known, straightforward, and versatile technique, widely used for the preparation of fibers by electrifying a polymer solution. However, a high molecular weight is not essential for obtaining uniform electrospun fibers; in fact, the primary criterion to succeed is the presence of sufficient intermolecular interactions, which function similar to chain entanglements. Some small molecules able to self-assemble have been electrospun from solution into fibers and, among them, peptides containing both natural and non-natural amino acids are of particular relevance. Nowadays, the use of peptides for this purpose is at an early stage, but it is gaining more and more interest, and we are now witnessing the transition from basic research towards applications. Considering the novelty in the relevant processing, the aim of this review is to analyze the state of the art from the early 2000s on. Moreover, advantages and drawbacks in using peptides as the main or sole component for generating electrospun nanofibers will be discussed. Characterization techniques that are specifically targeted to the produced peptide fibers are presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites)

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18 pages, 4690 KiB

Open AccessReview

Electrospun Nanofibers for Chemical Separation

by Mesbah Najafi and Margaret W. Frey

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(5), 982; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10050982 - 21 May 2020

Cited by 37 | Viewed by 6680

Abstract

The separation and purification of specific chemicals from a mixture have become necessities for many environments, including agriculture, food science, and pharmaceutical and biomedical industries. Electrospun nanofiber membranes are promising materials for the separation of various species such as particles, biomolecules, dyes, and metals from liquids because of the combined properties of a large specific surface, light weight, high porosity, good connectivity, and tunable wettability. This paper reviews the recent progress in the design and fabrication of electrospun nanofibers for chemical separation. Different capture mechanisms including electrostatic, affinity, covalent bonding, chelation, and magnetic adsorption are explained and their distinct characteristics are highlighted. Finally, the challenges and future aspects of nanofibers for membrane applications are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites)

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31 pages, 3114 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Strategies to Improve Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Vascular Tissue Engineering

by Tianyu Yao, Matthew B. Baker and Lorenzo Moroni

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(5), 887; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10050887 - 05 May 2020

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 6804

Abstract

The biofabrication of biomimetic scaffolds for tissue engineering applications is a field in continuous expansion. Of particular interest, nanofibrous scaffolds can mimic the mechanical and structural properties (e.g., collagen fibers) of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) and have shown high potential in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This review presents a general overview on nanofiber fabrication, with a specific focus on the design and application of electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds for vascular regeneration. The main nanofiber fabrication approaches, including self-assembly, thermally induced phase separation, and electrospinning are described. We also address nanofibrous scaffold design, including nanofiber structuring and surface functionalization, to improve scaffolds’ properties. Scaffolds for vascular regeneration with enhanced functional properties, given by providing cells with structural or bioactive cues, are discussed. Finally, current in vivo evaluation strategies of these nanofibrous scaffolds are introduced as the final step, before their potential application in clinical vascular tissue engineering can be further assessed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrospun Nanofibers and Nanocomposites)

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