Materials Science World Congress

Electrospun nanofibers are an emerging category of materials changing industries from biomedical to energy storage because of their unique properties, such as high surface area, flexibility, and porous tunability. The production method of these nanofibers is based on electrospinning, where a high-voltage electric field is applied to extract very thin fibers from a polymer solution in the presence of an electric field, with diameters ranging from a few nanometers to several micrometers, hence ideal for precision applications.

Electrospun nanofibers have many applications, but one of the most important applications has been the utilization of filtration systems. The superfine structure shows excellent filtration of particles, bacteria, and viruses for effective usage with air and water purification systems as well as protective masks. The nanofiber's high surface-area-to-volume ratio allows it to catch the smallest contaminants while keeping air flowing through, which is superior to other forms of filtration.

Electrospun nanofibers were found to be scaffolds with possible applications in tissue engineering, guiding the proliferation and regeneration of cells. These nanofibers are fibrous in nature, closely resembling natural extracellular matrix, which is extremely potent for guiding cell growth and new tissue formation. Its maximum applications in wound healing, skin graft, and other tissue regeneration include cartilage and blood vessels. Other areas include their biocompatibility and customizability in medical device development.

Electrospun nanofibers have also garnered considerable attention in recent times with respect to energy storage applications, especially those of batteries and supercapacitors. The nanofiber-based materials offer improved performance by virtue of high conductivity along with increased active surface area for the electrodes, thus providing excellent energy storage and faster charge/discharge cycles. This is an important development toward realizing second-generation high-capacity energy storage systems.

Further research into electrospun nanofibers promises to unlock further innovation in materials science and offer new solutions in filtration, biotechnology, and energy that require high-performance, customizable materials.