Nanoparticles meet electrospinning: recent advances and future prospects

High-performance spinel-rich Li1.5MnTiO4+δ ultralong nanofibers as cathode materials for Li-ion batteries

Recently, composite materials based on Li-Mn-Ti-O system were developed to target low cost and environmentally benign cathodes for Li-ion batteries. The spinel-layered Li_1.5MnTiO_4+δ bulk particles showed excellent cycle stability but poor rate performance. To address this drawback, ultralong nanofibers of a Li_1.5MnTiO_4+δ spinel-layered heterostructure were synthesized by electrospinning. Uniform nanofibers with diameters of about 80 nm were formed of tiny octahedral particles wrapped together into 30 μm long fibers. The Li_1.5MnTiO_4+δ nanofibers exhibited an improved rate capability compared to both Li_1.5MnTiO_4+δ nanoparticles and bulk particles. The uniform one-dimensional nanostructure of the composite cathode exhibited enhanced capacities of 235 and 170 mAh g⁻¹ at C/5 and 1 C rates, respectively. Its unique structure provided a large effective contact area for Li⁺ diffusion, and low charge transfer resistance. Moreover, the layered phase contributed to its capacity in over 3 V region, which increased specific energy (726 Wh kg⁻¹) compared to the bulk particles (534 Wh kg⁻¹).

Sequence-Controlled Delivery of Peptides from Hierarchically Structured Nanomaterials

Peptide drugs delivered orally need to be protected from degradation for achieving their functions. To fulfill the complicated task of oral drug delivery, we present a hierarchically structured drug-delivery system that can undertake structural changes, so multiple functions can be triggered by a sequence of stimuli. Such hierarchical system is achieved in a nanoparticle-in-nanofiber configuration, in which both the nanofibers and the nanoparticles are pH-responsive and biocompatible. A model peptide is efficiently encapsulated under mild condition, and the nanocarriers are further electrospun with a pH-responsive mucoadhesive polymer. The nanoparticles are released from the nanofibers, and thereafter the peptides are released from the nanoparticles in a pH-responsive manner. The nanoparticles are compatible with caco-2 cells, and the endocytosis of the nanoparticles is described in detail.

Fibers for hearts: A critical review on electrospinning for cardiac tissue engineering

Cardiac cell therapy holds a real promise for improving heart function and especially of the chronically failing myocardium. Embedding cells into 3D biodegradable scaffolds may better preserve cell survival and enhance cell engraftment after transplantation, consequently improving cardiac cell therapy compared with direct intramyocardial injection of isolated cells. The primary objective of a scaffold used in tissue engineering is the recreation of the natural 3D environment most suitable for an adequate tissue growth. An important aspect of this commitment is to mimic the fibrillar structure of the extracellular matrix, which provides essential guidance for cell organization, survival, and function. Recent advances in nanotechnology have significantly improved our capacities to mimic the extracellular matrix. Among them, electrospinning is well known for being easy to process and cost effective. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly popular for biomedical applications and it is most definitely the cutting edge technique to make scaffolds that mimic the extracellular matrix for industrial applications. Here, the desirable physico-chemical properties of the electrospun scaffolds for cardiac therapy are described, and polymers are categorized to natural and synthetic.Moreover, the methods used for improving functionalities by providing cells with the necessary chemical cues and a more in vivo-like environment are reported.

Flexible micro-supercapacitors prepared using direct-write nanofibers

A direct-write flexible micro-supercapacitor with high performance was demonstrated using a simple and versatile approach.

Electrospinning design of functional nanostructures for biosensor applications

We summarize the recent advances in the electrospinning fabrication of hybrid polymer nanofibers decorated with functionalized nanoscale building blocks (NBBs) to obtain biosensors with better performances.

Engineering Ceramic Fiber Nanostructures Through Polymer-Mediated Electrospinning

Electrospinning is increasingly used as a simple and straightforward technique to fabricate one-dimensional fibers from both organic and inorganic materials. These one-dimensional fibers with controlled sizes possess some unique features such as large surface area to volume ratio, high porosity, and low density. Compared to other conventional materials, these features make them attractive for applications such as energy harvesting, energy storage, super-hydrophobic membranes, and sensors. This chapter provides an overview on the synthesis of inorganic fibers through polymer-mediated electrospinning. Some of the common techniques employed by many researchers, such as solgel combined with electrospinning, emulsion electrospinning, and electrospinning combined with solid–gas reaction, to fabricate metal oxide fibers are discussed. In addition, techniques to fabricate ceramic and metal oxide fibers having different morphologies and hierarchical structures are described. Recent applications of electrospun metal oxide fibers are finally highlighted with a focus on filtration, sensors, photocatalysis, and energy.

One-step fabrication and characterization of a poly(vinyl alcohol)/silver hybrid nanofiber mat by electrospinning for multifunctional applications

Preparation and application of a poly(vinyl alcohol)/silver hybrid nanofiber mat by electrospinning.

Bottom-Up Meets Top-Down: Patchy Hybrid Nonwovens as an Efficient Catalysis Platform

Heterogeneous catalysis with supported nanoparticles (NPs) is a highly active field of research. However, the efficient stabilization of NPs without deteriorating their catalytic activity is challenging. By combining top-down (coaxial electrospinning) and bottom-up (crystallization-driven self-assembly) approaches, we prepared patchy nonwovens with functional, nanometer-sized patches on the surface. These patches can selectively bind and efficiently stabilize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The use of these AuNP-loaded patchy nonwovens in the alcoholysis of dimethylphenylsilane led to full conversion under comparably mild conditions and in short reaction times. The absence of gold leaching or a slowing down of the reaction even after ten subsequent cycles manifests the excellent reusability of this catalyst system. The flexibility of the presented approach allows for easy transfer to other nonwoven supports and catalytically active NPs, which promises broad applicability.

Intermolecular Interactions and the Release Pattern of Electrospun Curcumin-Polyvinyl(pyrrolidone) Fiber

An electrospun fiber of polyvinyl(pyrrolidone) (PVP)-Tween 20 (T20) with curcumin as the encapsulated drug has been developed. A study of intermolecular interactions was performed using Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Raman and FT-IR studies showed that curcumin preferrably interacted with T20 and altered PVP chain packing, as supported by XRD and physical stability data. The hydroxyl stretching band in PVP shifted to a lower wavenumber with higher intenstity in the presence of curcumin and PVP, indicating that hydrogen bond formation is more intense in a curcumin or curcumin-T20 containing fiber. The thermal pattern of the fiber did not indicate phase separation. The conversion of curcumin into an amorphous state was confirmed by XRD analysis. An in vitro release study in phosphate buffer pH 6.8 showed that intermolecular interactions between each material influenced the drug release rate. However, low porosity was found to limit the hydrogen bond-mediated release.

Graphene oxide-enriched poly(ε-caprolactone) electrospun nanocomposite scaffold for bone tissue engineering applications

Tissue engineering aims at fabricating biological substitutes to improve, repair, and regenerate failing human tissues or organs. Designing a nanocomposite scaffolds with tailored properties that enhance the development of functional tissue can be an appropriate approach to achieve this purpose. In this study, the uniform and bead-free nanofibers of poly(ε-caprolactone) composited with different graphene oxide nanosheet contents (ranging from 0.5 to 2 wt%) were successfully fabricated through electrospinning process. A decrease in the average diameter of poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibers was observed with the addition of graphene oxide nanosheets. Moreover, the nanocomposite scaffolds containing 2 wt% of graphene oxide nanosheets exhibited superior mechanical properties compared to that of pure poly(ε-caprolactone). Compared with pure poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffold, the degradation rate of poly(ε-caprolactone)-graphene oxide nanosheet nanofibers was enhanced, while the integrity of fibers was preserved. The presence of graphene oxide nanosheets in poly(ε-caprolactone) fibers promoted in vitro biomineralization, indicating bioactive features of the nanocomposite scaffolds. Compared to the pure one, nanocomposite fibers also showed better ability in protein adsorption. The in vitro cell culture studies showed that the addition of graphene oxide nanosheets did not diminish the biocompatibility of the electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofiber. Furthermore, the adhesion and proliferation of MG63 cells were increased. Altogether, the results demonstrated that electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone)-graphene oxide nanosheet nanofiber may be a suitable candidate for tissue engineering scaffold applications.

Assembly of Branched Colloidal Nanocrystals in Polymer Films Leads to Enhanced Viscous Deformation Resistance

Progress in the integration of nanocrystals with polymers has enabled the creation of materials for applications ranging from photovoltaics to biosensing. However, controlling the nanocrystal segregation and aggregation in the polymer phase remains a challenging task, especially because nanocrystals tend to form amorphous clusters inside the polymer matrix. Here, we present the ability of octapod-shaped particles to overcome their strong entropy-driven tendency to aggregate disorderly and form instead centipede-like linear arrays that are randomly oriented and fully embedded in polystyrene films upon controlled solvent evaporation. This behavior cannot be entirely described by short-range van der Waals interactions between the octapods in the polymer solution. An important role here is played by the increment of the viscosity of the medium during the evaporation of the solvent, which prevents disaggregation of the chains once they are formed. We show that increasing the octapod loading in the blends does not impact the length of the linear arrays beyond a critical length, while it favors instead chain demixing to form self-segregated regions of parallel interlocked chains. Our experiments evidence that softening of the polymer matrix by ex situ heating of the films induces a tail-to-tail coupling of the preformed chains and leads to the formation of longer linear structures of octapods, up to 2 μm long. The presence of 1D arrays of octapods in free-standing polystyrene films improves the creep response by a remarkable 37%, owing to an octapod pinning effect of the polymer matrix.

Investigation of the electro-spinnability of alginate solutions containing gold precursor HAuCl4

Alginate nanofibers with an average diameter of 75nm have been prepared by the electrospinning process. In addition, the spinnability of the solutions in the presence of the gold precursor HAuCl4 was investigated. At low concentrations of HAuCl4 well-formed nanofibers were produced, whereas as its concentration increases the nanofibrous mats present an increased number of bead-like defects. Herein, the in situ preparation of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) is discussed since sodium alginate (SA) acts as the reducing agent and a mechanism is proposed in order to explain the bead-effect as well as the surface morphology of the alginate fibers decorated with Au NPs.

Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution in Ternary Hybrid TiO2/CuO/Cu Thoroughly Mesoporous Nanofibers

Development of novel hybrid photocatalysts with high efficiency and durability for photocatalytic hydrogen generation is highly desired but still remains a grand challenge currently. In the present work, we reported the exploration of ternary hybrid TiO2/CuO/Cu thoroughly mesoporous nanofibers via a foaming-assisted electrospinning technique. It is found that by adjusting the Cu contents in the solutions, the unitary (TiO2), binary (TiO2/CuO, TiO2/Cu), and ternary (TiO2/CuO/Cu) mesoporous products can be obtained, enabling the growth of TiO2/CuO/Cu ternary hybrids in a tailored manner. The photocatalytic behavior of the as-synthesized products as well as P25 was evaluated in terms of their hydrogen evolution efficiency for the photodecomposition water under Xe lamp irradiation. The results showed that the ternary TiO2/CuO/Cu thoroughly mesoporous nanofibers exhibit a robust stability and the most efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution with the highest release rate of ∼851.3 μmol g(-1) h(-1), which was profoundly enhanced for more than 3.5 times with respect to those of the pristine TiO2 counterparts and commercial P25, suggesting their promising applications in clean energy production.

Electrospinning of Nanofibers for Energy Applications

With global concerns about the shortage of fossil fuels and environmental issues, the development of efficient and clean energy storage devices has been drastically accelerated. Nanofibers are used widely for energy storage devices due to their high surface areas and porosities. Electrospinning is a versatile and efficient fabrication method for nanofibers. In this review, we mainly focus on the application of electrospun nanofibers on energy storage, such as lithium batteries, fuel cells, dye-sensitized solar cells and supercapacitors. The structure and properties of nanofibers are also summarized systematically. The special morphology of nanofibers prepared by electrospinning is significant to the functional materials for energy storage.

Luminescent films for chemo- and biosensing

Luminescent films have received great interest for chemo-/bio-sensing applications due to their distinct advantages over solution-based probes, such as good stability and portability, tunable shape and size, non-invasion, real-time detection, extensive suitability in gas/vapor sensing, and recycling. On the other hand, they can achieve selective and sensitive detection of chemical/biological species using special luminophores with a recognition moiety or the assembly of common luminophores and functional materials. Nowadays, the extensively used assembly techniques include drop-casting/spin-coating, Langmuir-Blodgett (LB), self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), layer-by-layer (LBL), and electrospinning. Therefore, this review summarizes the recent advances in luminescent films with these assembly techniques and their applications in chemo-/bio-sensing. We mainly focused on the discussion of the relationship between the sensing properties of the films and their architecture. Furthermore, we discussed some critical challenges existing in this field and possible solutions that have been or are being developed to overcome these challenges.

Electrostatic Assemblies of Well-Dispersed AgNPs on the Surface of Electrospun Nanofibers as Highly Active SERS Substrates for Wide-Range pH Sensing

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has shown high promise in analysis and bioanalysis, wherein noble metal nanoparticles (NMNPs) such as silver nanoparticles were employed as substrates because of their strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties. However, SERS-based pH sensing was restricted because of the aggregation of NMNPs in acidic medium or biosamples with high ionic strength. Herein, by using the electrostatic interaction as a driving force, AgNPs are assembled on the surface of ethylene imine polymer (PEI)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) electrospun nanofibers, which are then applied as highly sensitive and reproducible SERS substrate with an enhancement factor (EF) of 10(7)-10(8). When p-aminothiophenol (p-ATP) is used as an indicator with its b2 mode, a good and wide linear response to pH ranging from 2.56 to 11.20 could be available, and the as-prepared nanocomposite fibers then could be fabricated as excellent pH sensors in complicated biological samples such as urine, considering that the pH of urine could reflect the acid-base status of a person. This work not only emerges a cost-effective, direct, and convenient approach to homogeneously decorate AgNPs on the surface of polymer nanofibers but also supplies a route for preparing other noble metal nanofibrous sensing membranes.

Tailoring nanoarchitectonics to control the release profile of payloads

We demonstrate here that the control over the release rate of payloads and on the selectivity of the release can be achieved by designing nanomaterials with a hierarchical structure. Redox-responsive silica nanocapsules are first synthesized to allow for an accelerated release of the corrosion inhibitor 2-mercaptobenzothiazole as a payload upon chemical reduction and retarded release upon oxidation. In a second step, we embedded the nanocapsules into nanofibers by colloid-electrospinning, yielding a hierarchical composite structure. Remarkably, the encapsulation of the nanocapsules in the fibers provides two decisive advantages that are a higher selectivity of the release and a higher control over the release rate of payloads.

Coating nanofiber scaffolds with beta cell membrane to promote cell proliferation and function

The cell membrane cloaking technique has emerged as an intriguing strategy in nanomaterial functionalization. Coating synthetic nanostructures with natural cell membranes bestows the nanostructures with unique cell surface antigens and functions. Previous studies have focused primarily on development of cell membrane-coated spherical nanoparticles and the uses thereof. Herein, we attempt to extend the cell membrane cloaking technique to nanofibers, a class of functional nanomaterials that are drastically different from nanoparticles in terms of dimensional and mechanophysical characteristics. Using pancreatic beta cells as a model cell line, we demonstrate successful preparation of cell membrane-coated nanofibers and validate that the modified nanofibers possess an antigenic exterior closely resembling that of the source beta cells. When such nanofiber scaffolds are used to culture beta cells, both cell proliferation rate and function are significantly enhanced. Specifically, glucose-dependent insulin secretion from the cells is increased by near five-fold compared with the same beta cells cultured in regular, unmodified nanofiber scaffolds. Overall, coating cell membranes onto nanofibers could add another dimension of flexibility and controllability in harnessing cell membrane functions and offer new opportunities for innovative applications.

Durable keratin-based bilayered electrospun mats for wound closure

A bilayered nanofibrous scaffold with rapid wound healing properties is found to be suitable for tissue regeneration applications. The objective of this study is to reveal the fabrication of a poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) (P)-gelatin (G) nanofibrous mat through electrospinning, with a horn keratin-chitosan-based biosheet (KC) as a bilayered nanofibrous scaffold. The mupirocin (D)-loaded horn KC biosheet (KCD) acts as the primary layer over which PG nanofibers were electrospun to act as the secondary layer. It is shown that this engineered bilayered nanofibrous scaffold material (KC-PG) should fulfill the functions of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by elucidating its function in vitro and in vivo. The bilayered nanofibrous scaffold was designed to exhibit improved physiochemical, biological and mechanical properties, with better swelling and porosity for enhanced oxygen permeability, and it also exhibits an acceptable antibacterial property to prevent infection at the wound site. The bilayered nanofibrous scaffold assists in better biocompatibility towards fibroblast and keratinocyte cell lines. The morphology of the nanofibrous scaffold aids increased cell adhesion and proliferation with cell material interactions. This was elucidated with the help of in vitro fluorescence staining against both cell lines. The bilayered KCD-PG nanofibrous scaffold material gives accelerated wound healing efficiency during in vivo wound healing. The results showed the regulation of growth factors with enhanced collagen synthesis, thereby helping in faster wound healing.

Fibrous scaffolds fabricated by emulsion electrospinning: from hosting capacity to in vivo biocompatibility

Electrospinning is a versatile method for preparing functional three-dimensional scaffolds. Synthetic and natural polymers have been used to produce micro- and nanofibers that mimic extracellular matrices. Here, we describe the use of emulsion electrospinning to prepare blended fibers capable of hosting aqueous species and releasing them in solution. The existence of an aqueous and a non-aqueous phase allows water-soluble molecules to be introduced without altering the structure and the degradation of the fibers, and means that their release properties under physiological conditions can be controlled. To demonstrate the loading capability and flexibility of the blend, various species were introduced, from magnetic nanoparticles and quantum rods to biological molecules. Cellular studies showed the spontaneous adhesion and alignment of cells along the fibers. Finally, in vivo experiments demonstrated the high biocompatibility and safety of the scaffolds up to 21 days post-implantation.

Enhancement of radiative processes in nanofibers with embedded plasmonic nanoparticles

Efficient manipulation and long-distance transport of single photons is a key component in nanoscale quantum optics. In this Letter, we study the emission properties of an individual light emitter placed into a nanofiber and coupled to a metallic nanoparticle. We find that plasmonic field enhancement together with nanofiber optical confinement uniquely and synergistically contribute to an overall increase of emission rates as well as quantum yields. We predict a quantum yield enhancement up to a factor of 2.5 with respect to free space for an averaged dipole orientation.

Fabrication of MgFe2O4/MoS2 Heterostructure Nanowires for Photoelectrochemical Catalysis

A novel one-dimensional MgFe2O4/MoS2 heterostructure has been successfully designed and fabricated. The bare MgFe2O4 was obtained as uniform nanowires through electrospinning, and MoS2 thin film appeared on the surface of MgFe2O4 after further chemical vapor deposition. The structure of the MgFe2O4/MoS2 heterostructure was systematic investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), and Raman spectra. According to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results, the MgFe2O4/MoS2 heterostructure showed a lower charge-transfer resistance compared with bare MgFe2O4, which indicated that the MoS2 played an important role in the enhancement of electron/hole mobility. MgFe2O4/MoS2 heterostructure can efficiently degrade tetracycline (TC), since the superoxide free-radical can be produced by sample under illumination due to the active species trapping and electron spin resonance (ESR) measurement, and the optimal photoelectrochemical degradation rate of TC can be achieved up to 92% (radiation intensity: 47 mW/cm(2), 2 h). Taking account of its unique semiconductor band gap structure, MgFe2O4/MoS2 can also be used as an photoelectrochemical anode for hydrogen production by water splitting, and the hydrogen production rate of MgFe2O4/MoS2 was 5.8 mmol/h·m(2) (radiation intensity: 47 mW/cm(2)), which is about 1.7 times that of MgFe2O4.

Antimicrobial Activity of Silver Ions Released from Zeolites Immobilized on Cellulose Nanofiber Mats

In this study, we exploit the high silver ion exchange capability of Linde Type A (LTA) zeolites and present, for the first time, electrospun nanofiber mats decorated with in-house synthesized silver (Ag(+)) ion exchanged zeolites that function as molecular delivery vehicles. LTA-Large zeolites with a particle size of 6.0 μm were grown on the surface of the cellulose nanofiber mats, whereas LTA-Small zeolites (0.2 μm) and three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous-imprinted (LTA-Meso) zeolites (0.5 μm) were attached to the surface of the cellulose nanofiber mats postsynthesis. After the three zeolite/nanofiber mat assemblies were ion-exchanged with Ag(+) ions, their ion release profiles and ability to inactivate Escherichia coli (E. coli) K12 were evaluated as a function of time. LTA-Large zeolites immobilized on the nanofiber mats displayed more than an 11 times greater E. coli K12 inactivation than the Ag-LTA-Large zeolites that were not immobilized on the nanofiber mats. This study demonstrates that by decorating nanometer to micrometer scale Ag(+) ion-exchanged zeolites on the surface of high porosity, hydrophilic cellulose nanofiber mats, we can achieve a tunable release of Ag(+) ions that inactivate bacteria faster and are more practical to use in applications over powder zeolites.

Plasmonic Biofoam: A Versatile Optically Active Material

Owing to their ability to confine and manipulate light at the nanoscale, plasmonic nanostructures are highly attractive for a broad range of applications. While tremendous progress has been made in the synthesis of size- and shape-controlled plasmonic nanostructures, their integration with other materials and application in solid-state is primarily through their assembly on rigid two-dimensional (2D) substrates, which limits the plasmonically active space to a few nanometers above the substrate. In this work, we demonstrate a simple method to create plasmonically active three-dimensional biofoams by integrating plasmonic nanostructures with highly porous biomaterial aerogels. We demonstrate that plasmonic biofoam is a versatile optically active platform that can be harnessed for numerous applications including (i) ultrasensitive chemical detection using surface-enhanced Raman scattering; (ii) highly efficient energy harvesting and steam generation through plasmonic photothermal heating; and (iii) optical control of enzymatic activity by triggered release of biomolecules encapsulated within the aerogel. Our results demonstrate that 3D plasmonic biofoam exhibits significantly higher sensing, photothermal, and loading efficiency compared to conventional 2D counterparts. The design principles and processing methodology of plasmonic aerogels demonstrated here can be broadly applied in the fabrication of other functional foams.

Color tunable up-conversion emission from ZrO2:Er3+,Yb3+ textile fibers

ZrO₂:xEr³⁺,yYb³⁺ fibers (diameters of approximately 1 μm) with good flexibility and toughness were synthesized via electrospinning technology, and color tunable up-conversion emissions were observed as the changes of Yb³⁺ concentraion.

Superparamagnetic [sic] nanofibers by electrospinning

Magnetically ultra-soft and anisotropic electrospun fibre mats.

Simultaneous regulation of morphology, crystallization, thermal stability and adsorbability of electrospun polyamide 6 nanofibers via graphene oxide and chemically reduced graphene oxide

The spinnable concentration range, crystalline structure and performance of polyamide 6 nanofibers were modulated simultaneously via GO and RGO.

High thermal and electrochemical stability of PVDF-graft-PAN copolymer hybrid PEO membrane for safety reinforced lithium-ion battery

A PVDF-graft-PAN copolymer was prepared by ozone polymerization and hybrid with PEO as a conductive gel–polymer electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries.

Triple-enzyme mimetic activity of Co3O4 nanotubes and their applications in colorimetric sensing of glutathione

Based on the oxidase-like activity of Co₃O₄ nanotubes, a simple and sensitive colorimetric sensor for GSH detection was investigated.

Synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched associative polyacrylamide

HDPAM was synthesized by water free-radical copolymerization based on functional hyperbranched polyamide-modified ultrafine silica as functional monomer.

Fabrication of electrospun poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(capro lactone) composite nanofibers for co-delivery of niclosamide and silver nanoparticles exhibits enhanced anti-cancer effects in vitro

An intrinsic property of many anticancer drugs including niclosamide is poor water solubility, which hindered their translation from laboratory to clinics.

Direct planting of ultrafine MoO2+δ nanoparticles in carbon nanofibers by electrospinning: self-supported mats as binder-free and long-life anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Three-dimensional interconnected carbon nanofibrous mats containing well-dispersed MoO_2+δ nanocrystals are fabricated through electrospinning for high-performance Li-ion battery anodes.

Fabrication of monodispersed Au@Ag bimetallic nanorod-loaded nanofibrous membrane with fast thermo-responsiveness and its use as a smart free-standing SERS substrate

Monodispersed core–shell structured Au@Ag bimetallic nanorods-loaded nanofibrous membrane with fast thermo-responsiveness was fabricated by electrospinning and subsequent heat treatment, which can be used as a smart free-standing SERS substrate.

A polymer/metal core–shell nanofiber membrane by electrospinning with an electric field, and its application for catalyst support

PVP/Ag core–shell nanofibers are prepared via electrospinning; electric field induces phase separation, and leads Ag migrate; the nanofiber exhibits a great potential in the field of catalysis.

Mesoporous carbon soft-templated from lignin nanofiber networks: microphase separation boosts supercapacitance in conductive electrodes

Lignin was used to fabricate electrospun fibers with mesopores from a PVA precursor (soft templating). The resultant carbon mat was flexible, conductive and displayed supercapacitance, a remarkable property in a biomass-derived electrode.