Fiber breakage is found to be a ubiquitous phenomenon during the thermal treatments for electrospun nanofibers, because of the presence of solvent molecules and unrelaxed assembly of polymer chains. Here a strengthening strategy is designed by introducing a pre-heating stage for the as-spun nanofibers. At a temperature above the polymer’s glass transition temperature, the chains can get sufficiently

Long-term in vivo monitoring of chemicals with implanted sensors has received considerable interests over the past decades owing to their significant contributions in reflecting health conditions and assistance in diagnosing diseases. However, the widely explored chemical sensors outside the body fail to meet the requirements of in vivo applications. This perspective reviews main challenges, recent

The required treatment and monitoring of contaminants in wastewater reinforces the development of low-cost adsorbents/chemosensors, introducing advantages relative to the detection/removal of toxic metals and dyes. Herein, it is reported a two-step process of fabrication of fluorescent carbon dots via the hydrothermal treatment of amino acids for the following encapsulation in electrospun fibers. The

Developing a scalable process is critical to manufacture conductive fabric for commercial applications. This paper describes a scalable coating process that is compatible with existing industrial finishing processes of fabrics. In this process, the fabric is continuously dipped in water-based metal salt and the reducing agent solution to impart conductive particles on the fiber surface. After 10 consecutive

Sodium-ion battery (SIB), one of most promising battery technologies, offers an alternative low-cost solution for scalable energy storage. Developing advanced electrode materials with superior electrochemical performance is of great significance for SIBs. Transition metal sulfides that emerge as promising anode materials have advantageous features particularly for electrochemical redox reaction, including

Disposable medical protective clothing for 2019-nCoV mainly consists of stacked layers with nanopore films, polymer coated nonwoven fabrics and melt-blown nonwoven fabrics against anti-microbial and anti-liquid penetration. However, such structures lack moisture permeability and breathability leading to an uncomfortable, stuffy wearing experience. Here, we propose a novel medical protective clothing

Textiles have proved to be very important materials to human beings since the time immemorial. And, fibers are the basic building units of these materials. In this perspective we substantiate the uniqueness and capability of nanofibers as active layers in face masks, to protect people against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This time-sensitive letter introduces the mechanisms based on which

Warp sizing is considered as the most important process of weaving preparation in the textile field. The quality of sized warp yarns is directly determined by the permeation and coating of sizing paste into/on warp yarns. However, many significant flaws of the current method of permeability and coating property of sizing paste, such as low accuracy and narrow variety adaptability for sizing agents

Wearable devices have received tremendous interests in human sweat analysis in the past few years. However, the widely used polymeric substrates and the layer-by-layer stacking structures greatly influence the cost-efficiency, conformability and breathability of the devices, further hindering their practical applications. Herein, we report a facile and low-cost strategy for the fabrication of a skin-friendly

Public health events caused by viruses pose a significant risk to humans worldwide. From December 2019 till now, the rampant novel 2019 coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2) has hugely impacted China and over world. Regarding a commendable means of protection, mask technology is relatively mature, though most of the masks cannot effectively resist the viral infections. The key material of the mask is a non-woven

The health benefits and sensing applications of curcumin-based systems depend on their prevailing photophysical and chemical properties at a specific environment—the characteristic low solubility of curcumin in water hinders high-dosage based applications. To circumvent this drawback, curcumin has been incorporated in hydrophobic environments in nanoscale. Herein, electrospun fibers of Eudragit L100

AbstractUsing Fiber as the based material for photocatalyst particles is favorable for their recovery, thereby avoiding the photocatalyst particles cause secondary pollution to water environment. In this work, the AgBr and Ag3PO4 photocatalyst particles were loaded onto the surface of chitosan fiber (CF) via chelation and in situ anion-exchange method. The photocatalytic results illustrated that the

AbstractThe analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) allows a noninvasive method of “real-time liquid biopsy” from the blood samples of cancer patients for the diagnosis of early-stage cancer, prognosis, and monitoring therapeutic response. In this study, we develop a simple, inexpensive, and reliable method that utilizes a small molecule peptide, the asparagine-glycine-arginine (NGR), as a capture

The improvement of the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 nanofibers (NFs), prepared by electrospinning, is achieved by surface modification with the rhodizonic acid (RhA). The condensation reaction between hydroxyl groups from TiO2 NFs and RhA is accompanied by the red-shift of optical absorption due to interfacial charge transfer (ICT) complex formation. Crystal structure, morphology, and optical

In this work, shape-stabilized solid-solid phase change materials (PCMs) were fabricated by simply electrospinning polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Owing to the strong hydrogen bonds and entanglement between those molecular chains of PEG and PVA, PEG was packaged by PVA. The morphological structures, thermal stability and thermal energy storage properties of those fibers were

Twisted and coiled fiber-based actuators have drawn a great attention because their unique structure can provide mechanical response with the external thermal stimulus. Herein, an ultra-fast and light-weight twisted and coiled fiber-based actuator was designed based on a nature melanin/poly (vinyl alcohol-co-ethylene) (PVA-co-PE) nanofibers/PA6 composite fiber. In brief, PA6 was firstly coated by melanin/PVA-co-PE

AbstractWound dressing materials which are capable of meeting the demands of accelerating wound closure and promoting wound healing process have being highly desired. Electrospun nanofibrous materials show great application potentials for wound healing owing to relatively large surface area, better mimicry of native extracellular matrix, adjustable waterproofness and breathability, and programmable

AbstractThe objective of this study was to convert biochar, a byproduct generated from the hydrothermal process (in oxygen-limited environment) of biomass (e.g., corn stover), into value-added product. In specific, three-dimensional (3D) biochar-containing precursor sponge, which was made by using electrospun polymer nanofibers as skeleton support, was fabricated via an innovative approach. The weight

Nanofibers with unique structures and multiple components have attracted more and more attention, which could combine multi-functions in one entity. Janus-type biphasic nanofibers with unique structure can be quickly obtained by electrospinning technology. We produced CoOx/C nanofibers with Janus structure by self-made side-by-side electrospinning spinneret, combined with electrospinning technology

The limited mechanical properties of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have become a severe problem hindering their wide range applications. The restricting issues are found in the whole fabrication process, including the precursor design, spinning and collection techniques, post treatments like stretching and aligning, and complicated thermal treatments involving stabilization and carbonization. Here we access

AbstractWe report in this work coaxial electrospun fibers with potential applications in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The fibers comprise a fixed dose combination (FDC) containing the active ingredients levodopa and carbidopa, loaded in a fast dissolving polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) shell and an insoluble but swellable Eudragit® RLPO core. Under appropriate processing conditions we are able

We report a study investigating the effects of thermal annealing on the optical properties of Si-Ge alloy-core silica-cladded fibers. Low temperature fiber draw was performed with a laboratory-made draw tower at 1760 °C that minimizes impurity diffusion from cladding to the core. As a post-drawing process, Si–Ge core fibers were annealed in a box furnace to alter the core structure. Microstructural

Serious freshwater shortage and environmental pollution boost the rapid development of solar-driven water production. Although improved evaporation rate has achieved in recent years, undesirable impurity (e.g., pollutant components) can also be inevitably evaporated and collected as impurity in produced freshwater. This work reports new ultra-light three-dimensional (3D) aerogels assembled by hierarchical

Biomimetic scaffolds made by synthetic materials are usually used to replace the natural tissues aimed at speeding up the skin regeneration. In this study, a flexible and cytocompatible poly(glycerol sebacate)@poly-l-lactic acid (PGS@PLLA) fibrous scaffold with a core–shell structure was fabricated by coaxial electrospinning, where the shell PLLA was used to be a skeleton with pores on the fibrous

AbstractMolecular recognition of simple sugars is crucial due to their essential roles in most living organisms. However, it remains extremely challenging to achieve a visual recognition of simple sugars like sucrose in water media under physiological conditions. In this article, the visual recognition of sucrose is accomplished by a chiral supramolecular hydrogel formation through the co-assembly

Acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) is a commercial polymer for widely industrial applications due to its good mechanical and physical properties. However, there are only countable reports regarding its fibers from electrospinning. Comprehensive investigation on its optimized electrospinning parameters is missing. Herein, ABS fibers with different fiber diameters were produced by electrospinning

AbstractTriboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has attracted considerable attention in wearable electronics and energy harvesting associated with human activities. Fiber/yarn electrodes are widely applied in the wearable TENG system, which remains a challenge to guarantee mechanical ductility and stable electrical functions during long-term use. Inspired by high quality violin strings core-sheath design

The development of effective and reusable photocatalysts with broad-spectra activity has attracted attention. Herein, we have constructed n-TiO2/p-Ag2O junction on carbon fiber (CF) cloth as an efficient and recyclable photocatalyst. With CF cloth as the substrate, TiO2 nanorods (length: 1–2 µm) are prepared by a hydrothermal process, and the in-situ growth of Ag2O nanoparticles (10–20 nm) is then

Rapid NIR light detection and/or writing has drawn much attention, but their practical applications have been limited by obtaining such NIR photodetectors. To address this problem, we have developed a simple and versatile strategy to prepare a non-woven fabric photodetector. The blue non-woven fabric photodetector has been prepared by coating photo-thermochromic ink (including crystal violet lactone

In-fiber structured particles and filament array have been recently emerging, providing unique advantages of feasible fabrication, diverse structures and sophisticated functionalities. This review will focus on the progress of this topic mainly from the perspective of fluid instabilities. By suppressing the capillary instability, the uniform layered structures down to nanometers are attained with the

AbstractSingle crystal fibers (SCF) are considered to be a combination of bulk crystals and conventional fibers, thereby possessing the stable physical and chemical properties accompanied with excellent waveguide properties. This paper gives a detailed introduction to the development history of single crystal fibers, including the evolution of the growth technique and the optimization of the growth

AbstractSmart textiles are attracting great interest. Particularly, air-conditioning textiles are highly desired for their merits in energy conservation and personal temperature/humidity management. Currently, air-conditioning textiles can be fabricated by two strategies. One uses infrared-radiation-adaptive materials, and the other uses moisture-responsive actuators that can regulate temperature and

Stimuli-responsive materials with switchable wettability have promising practical applications in oil/water separation. A novel CO2-responsive cotton fabric for controlled oil/water separation was fabricated based on mussel-inspired reaction and polymerized with 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA). As expected, the modified fabric exhibited switchable hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity after

AbstractDuctile and damage-tolerant fibers (DDTFs) are desired in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, and biomedical engineering because of their ability to prevent the catastrophic sudden structural/mechanical failure. However, in practice, design and fabrication of DDTFs remain a major challenge due to finite fiber size and limited processing techniques. In this regard, animal silks can

AbstractRecently, researches on artificial muscles for imitating the functions of the natural muscles has attracted wide attention. The fiber-shape actuators, shape-memory materials or deforming devices, which are similar to human muscle fiber bundles, have extensively studied and provided more possibilities for artificial muscles. Herein, we develop a thermal responsible fiber-shaped actuator based

This article reports that extremely thin nanobelts (thickness ~ 10 nm) exhibit pseudocapacitive (PC) charge storage in the asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) configuration, while show battery-type charge storage in their single electrodes. Two types of nanobelts, viz. NiO–Co3O4 hybrid and spinal-type NiCo2O4, developed by electrospinning technique are used in this work. The charge storage behaviour of

AbstractPhotoresponsive supramolecular gels as intelligent non-invasive responsive materials can undergo changes in color, state, morphology and electronic properties upon photo irradiation, making them attractive for a variety of applications. Herein, a novel supramolecular hydrogelator DBE with 1,4-divinylbenzene as the central core, connected via amide linkage to l-phenylalanine and peripheral hydrophilic

Perovskite-based solar cells with high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) are currently being demonstrated in solid-state device designs. Their elevated performances can possibly be attained with different non-standard geometries, for example, the fiber-shaped perovskite solar cells, in the light of careful design and engineering. Fiber-shaped solar cells are promising in smart textiles energy harvesting

In this study, we prepared paclitaxel/chitosan (PTX/CS) nanosuspensions (NSs) with different mass ratios of PTX and CS (1.5:2, 2:2, and 2.5:2), for controlled drug delivery purposes. For attachment and dispersion in water medium, a simple ultrasonic disruption technique was employed. The water-dispersed PTX/CS NSs exhibited a rod-shape morphology with an average diameter of 170–210 nm and average length

AbstractHydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) as an indispensable method for protein purification has attracted considerable attentions of researchers as well as biopharmaceutical industries. However, the low binding capacity and slow adsorption rate of the currently available HIC media lead to a little supply and high price of the highly purified proteins. Herein, nanofibrous membranes with

An optical trap forms a restoring optical force field to immobilize and manipulate tiny objects. A fiber optical trap is capable of establishing the restoring optical force field using one or a few pieces of optical fiber, and it greatly simplifies the optical setup by removing bulky optical components, such as microscope objectives from the working space. It also inherits other major advantages of

AbstractDeveloping bioprotective materials with bactericidal activity is of great significance since it can effectively keep healthcare workers from infection by emerging infectious diseases; however, this is still a big challenge. Herein, we fabricate a novel rechargeable N-halamine antibacterial material by functionalizing electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol-co-ethylene) (EVOH) nanofibers with dimethylol-5

AbstractElectrospun nanofibers hold a great potential in biomedical applications due to their advantages of large specific surface area, good biocompatibility, easy fabrication and surface modification. In particular, organic/inorganic hybrid nanofibers exhibit enhanced mechanical properties and long-term sustained release or controlled release profile of encapsulated drugs, which enables hybrid nanofibers

AbstractSolid electrolytes have gained attention recently for the development of next-generation Li-ion batteries since they can fundamentally improve the battery stability and safety. Among various types of solid electrolytes, composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) exhibit both high ionic conductivity and excellent interfacial contact with the electrodes. Incorporating active nanofibers into the polymer

AbstractElastic, repairable and conductive fibers are desirable in the newly emerging field of soft electronic and wearable devices. Here, we design a multifunctional fiber by incorporation of different components to optimize its performance. The combination of the poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) through hydrogen bonding endows the fiber with high elasticity and repairability

AbstractA novel three-tier composite membrane based on highly porous nanofibrous substrate was demonstrated for efficient isopropanol dehydration by pervaporation. Here, polyethyleneimine (PEI) modified graphene oxide (GO) sheets were vacuum-assistant assembled onto porous electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibrous substrate to achieve a smooth, hydrophilic and compact PEI-GO intermediate layer

Thermal management of textiles requires local microclimate control over heat and wet dissipation to create a comfortable thermal-wet environment at the interface of the human body and clothing. Herein, we design a fabric capable of both sweat- and cooling-management using a knitted fabric featuring a bilayer structure consisting of hydrophobic polyethylene terephthalate and hydrophilic cellulose fibers

AbstractThe research and applications of fiber materials are directly related to the daily life of social populace and the development of relevant revolutionary manufacturing industry. However, the conventional fibers and fiber products can no longer meet the requirements of automation and intellectualization in modern society, as well as people’s consumption needs in pursuit of smart, avant-grade