Application of different fiber structures and arrangements by electrospinning in triboelectric nanogenerators

In recent years,nanogenerators(NGs)have attracted wide attention in the energy field,among which triboelectric nanogenerators(TENGs)have shown superior performance.Multiple reports of electrospinning(ES)-based TENGs have been reported,but there is a lack of deep analysis of the designing method from microstructure,limiting the creative of new ES-based TENGs.Most TENGs use polymer materials to achieve corresponding design,which requires structural design of polymer materials.The existing polymer molding design methods include macroscopic molding methods,such as injection,compression,extrusion,calendering,etc.,combined with liquid-solid changes such as soluting and melting;it also includes micro-nano molding technology,such as melt-blown method,coagulation bath method,ES method,and nanoimprint method.In fact,ES technology has good controllability of thickness dimension and rich means of nanoscale structure regulation.At present,these characteristics have not been reviewed.Therefore,in this paper,we combine recent reports with some microstructure regulation functions of ES to establish a more general TENGs design method.Based on the rich microstructure research results in the field of ES,much more new types of TENGs can be designed in the future.

Wearable flexible zinc-ion batteries based on electrospinning technology

Flexible wearable batteries are widely used in smartwatches, foldable phones, and fitness trackers due to their thinness and small size. Zinc-based batteries have the advantages of low cost, high safety, and ecofriendliness, which are considered to be the best alternative to flexible lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Therefore, wearable flexible zinc-ion batteries(FZIBs) have attracted considerable interest as a promising energy storage device. Electrospun nanofibers(ESNFs) have great potential for application in wearable FZIBs due to their low density, high porosity, large specific surface area, and flexibility. Moreover, electrospinning technology can achieve the versatility of nanofibers through structural design and incorporation of other multifunctional materials. This paper reviews a wide range of applications of electrospinning in FZIBs, mainly in terms of cathode, anode, separator, polymer electrolyte, and all-inone flexible batteries. Firstly, the electrospinning device, principles, and influencing parameters are briefly described, showing its positive impact on FZIBs. Subsequently, the energy storage principles and electrode configurations of FZIBs are described, and some of the common problems of the batteries are illustrated, including zinc anode dendrite growth, corrosion, cathode structure collapse, and poor electrical conductivity. This is followed by a comprehensive overview of research progress on the individual components of FZIBs(cathode, anode, separator, and polymer electrolyte) from the perspective of electrostatically spun fiber materials and an in-depth study of all-in-one flexible batteries. Finally, the challenges and future development of FZIBs are individually concluded and look forward. We hope that this work will provide new ideas and avenues for the development of advanced energy technologies and smart wearable systems.

Electrospinning/3D printing-integrated porous scaffold guides oral tissue regeneration in beagles

The combined use of guided tissue/bone regeneration(GTR/GBR)membranes and bone filling grafts represents a classical therapy for guiding the regeneration and functional reconstruction of oral soft and hard tissues.Nevertheless,due to its displacement and poor mechanical support,bone meal is not suitable for implantation in the case of insufficient cortical bone support and large dimensional defects.The combination of GTR/GBR membrane with a three-dimensional(3D)porous scaffold may offer a resolution for the repair and functional reconstruction of large soft and hard tissue defects.In this study,a novel integrated gradient biodegradable porous scaffold was prepared by bonding a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)(PLGA)/fish collagen(FC)electrospun membrane(PFC)to a 3D-printed PLGA/nano-hydroxyapatite(HA)(PHA)scaffold.The consistency of the composition(PLGA)ensured strong interfacial bonding between the upper fibrous membrane and the lower 3D scaffold.In vitro cell experiments showed that the PFC membrane(upper layer)effectively prevented the unwanted migration of L929 cells.Further in vivo investigations with an oral soft and hard tissue defect model in beagles revealed that the integrated scaffold effectively guided the regeneration of defective oral tissues.These results suggest that the designed integrated scaffold has great potential for guiding the regeneration and reconstruction of large oral soft and hard tissues.

Composite bioabsorbable vascular stents via 3D bio-printing and electrospinning for treating stenotic vessels

A new type of vascular stent is designed for treating stenotic vessels. Aiming at overcoming the shortcomings of existing equipment and technology for preparing a bioabsorbable vascular stent （BVS）, a new method which combines 3D bio-printing and electrospinning to prepare the composite bioabsorbable vascular stent （CBVS） is proposed. The inner layer of the CBVS can be obtained through 3D bio- printing using poly-p-dioxanone （PPDO）. The thin nanofiber film that serves as the outer layer can be built through electrospinning using mixtures of chitosan-PVA （poly （vinyl alcohol））. Tests of mechanical properties show that the stent prepared through 3D bio-printing combined with electrospinning is better than that prepared through 3D bio- printing alone. Cells cultivated on the CBVS adhere and proliferate better due to the natural, biological chitosan in the outer layer. The proposed complex process and method can provide a good basis for preparing a controllable drug-carrying vascular stent. Overall, the CBVS can be a good candidate for treating stenotic vessels.

MELT-ELECTROSPINNING OF PMMA

The melt electrospinning of PMMA was investigated. The averaged fiber diameter thus obtained was reduced from 34.0 μm to 19.7 μm by adding di-（2-ethylhexyl）phthalate to reduce viscosity of the molten PMMA, and it further lowered down to 4.0 μm when a KCl/ice-water solution was used as collection media. A comparison study on the PMMA fibers made through melt electrospinning and done by solution electrospinning was made. It was found that solution electrospinning was capable of fabricating very thin fibers as small as to a nanometer size, but resulted in a much wider fiber diameter range than melt-electrospinning did. In general, within some extent an increase in applied voltage and amount of the additive or a decrease in collection distance can give rise to a decreased fiber diameter and improved mechanical performance for the PMMA fibers by melt electrospinning. It was also indicated that the mechanical properties of the PMMA fibers made through melt-electrospinning were superior to those by solution elctropspinning.

Characterization of V_2O_5/MoO_3 composite photocatalysts prepared via electrospinning and their photodegradation activity for dimethyl phthalate

Vanadium pentoxide（V2O5）/molybdenum trioxide（MoO 3） composites with different molar ratios of vanadium（V） to molybdenum（Mo） were synthesized via a simple electrospinning technique. The photocatalytic activity of the composites were evaluated by their ability to photodegrade methylene blue and dimethyl phthalate（DMP） under visible-light irradiation. Compared with pure V2O5 and MoO 3,the V2O5/MoO 3 composites showed enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity because of a V 3d impurity energy level and the formation of heterostructures at the interface between V2O5 and MoO 3. The optimal molar ratio of V to Mo in the V2O5/MoO 3 composites was found to be around 1/2. Furthermore,high-performance liquid chromatographic monitoring revealed that phthalic acid was the main intermediate in the photocatalytic degradation process of DMP.

Direct fabrication of cerium oxide hollow nanofibers by electrospinning

Electrospinning technique was used to fabricate PVP/Ce（NO3）3 composite microfibers. Different morphological CeO2 nanofibers were obtained by calcination of the PVP/Ce（NO3）3 composite microfibers and were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, Transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, thermal gravimetric and differential thermal analysis （TG-DTA）, and （FTIR）. SEM micrographs indicated that the surface of the composite fibers was smooth and became coarse with the increase of calcination temperatures. The diameters of CeO2 hollow nanofibers （300 nm at 600 ℃ and 600 nm at 800 ℃ ） were smaller than those of PVP/Ce（NO3）3 composite fibers （1-2 um ）. CeO2 hollow nanofibers were obtained at 600 ℃ and CeO2 hollow and porous nanofibers formed by nanoparti- cles were obtained at 800 ℃. The length of the CeO2 hollow nanofibers was greater than 50 um. XRD analysis revealed that the composite microfibers were amorphous in structure and CeO2 nanofibers were cubic in structure with space group O^5H - FM3m when calcination tem- peratures were 600-800 ℃. TG-DTA and FTIR revealed that the formation of CeO2 nanofibers was largely influenced by the calcination temperatures. Possible formation mechanism of CeO2 hollow nanofibers was proposed.

Direct electrospinning method for the construction of Z-scheme TiO_2/g-C_3N_4/RGO ternary heterojunction photocatalysts with remarkably ameliorated photocatalytic performance

A series of Z-scheme TiO2/g-C3N4/RGO ternary heterojunction photocatalysts are successfully constructed via a direct electrospinning technique coupled with an annealing process for the first time. They are investigated comprehensively in terms of crystal structure, morphology, composition, specific surface area, photoelectrochemical properties, photodegradation performance, etc. Compared with binary TiO2/g-C3N4 and single-component photocatalysts, ternary heterojunction photocatalysts show the best photodegradation performance for RhB under stimulated sunlight. This can be attributed to the enlarged specific surface area (111.41 m2/g), the formation of Z-scheme heterojunction, and the high separation migration efficiency of photoexcited charge carriers. A potential Z-scheme mechanism for ternary heterojunction photocatalysts is proposed to elucidate the remarkably ameliorated photocatalytic performance based on active species trapping experiments, PL detection test of hydroxyl radicals, and photoelectrochemical properties.

Fabrication of TiO2 nanofiber assembly from nanosheets（TiO2-NFs-NSs） by electrospinning-hydrothermal method for improved photoreactivity

Hierarchically structured nanomaterials have attracted much attention owing to their unique properties.In this study,TiO2 nanofibers assembled from nanosheets(TiO2-NFs-NSs)were fabricated through electrospinning technique,which was followed by hydrothermal treatment in NaOH solution.The effect of hydrothermal reaction time(0-3 h)on the structure and properties of TiO2 nanofibers(TiO2-NFs)was systematically studied,and TiO2-NFs was evaluated in terms of the photocatalytic activity toward photocatalytic oxidation of acetone and the photoelectric conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells.It was found that(1)hydrothermal treatment of TiO2-NFs in NaOH solution followed by acid washing and calcination results in the formation of TiO2-NFs-NSs;(2)upon extending the hydrothermal reaction time from 0 h to 3 h,the BET surface area of TiO2-NFs-NSs(T3.0 sample)increases 3.8 times(from 28 to 106 m2 g^-1),while the pore volume increases 6.0 times(from 0.09 to 0.54 cm3 g^-1);(3)when compared with those of pristine TiO2-NFs(T0 sample),the photoreactivity of the optimized TiO2-NFs-NSs toward acetone oxidation increases 3.1 times and the photoelectric conversion efficiency increases 2.3 times.The enhanced photoreactivity of TiO2-NFs-NSs is attributed to the enlarged BET surface area and increased pore volume,which facilitate the adsorption of substrate and penetration of gas,and the unique hollow structure of TiO2-NFs-NSs,which facilitates light harvesting through multiple optical reflections between the TiO2 nanosheets.

Microporous carbon nanofibers prepared by combining electrospinning and phase separation methods for supercapacitor

Microporous carbon nanofibers (MCNFs) derived from polyacrylonitrile nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning technology and phase separation in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). PVP together with a mixed solvent of N, N-Dimethylformamide and dimethyl sulfoxide was used as pore forming agent. The influences of PVP content in casting solution on the structure and electrochemical performance of the MCNFs were also investigated. The highest capacitance of 200 F/g was obtained on a three-electrode system at a scan rate of 0.5 A/g. The good performance was owing to the high specific surface area and the large amount of micro-pores, which enhanced the absorption and the transportation efficiency of electrolyte ion during charge/discharge process. This research indicated that the combination of electrospinning and phase separation technology could be used to fabricate microporous carbon nanofibers as electrode materials for supercapacitors with high specific surface area and outstanding electrochemical performance. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

CdS/ZnS/ZnO ternary heterostructure nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning for excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution without co-catalyst

In recent years,ternary heterostructures(HSs)composed of three semiconductors have attracted significant attention because of the effective separation and transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes in these materials.In this work,new ternary Cd S/Zn S/Zn O(CZZ)HSs with one-dimensional(1D)nanofiber morphology have been successfully fabricated for the first time by a series of processes:electrospinning Zn O nanofibers,sulfurizing Zn O in situ to form Zn S/Zn O binary HSs,and depositing Cd S quantum dots in situ on the Zn S/Zn O HSs.Benefiting from the efficient separation and transfer of photoinduced charge carriers,the optimized CZZ ternary HSs exhibit a hydrogen evolution rate of 51.45 mmol h^-1 g^-1(quantum efficiency:26.88%at 420 nm)without any co-catalyst,which is 93.54 and 2.28 times higher than those exhibited by pristine Zn O and Zn S/Zn O binary HSs,respectively,under the same conditions.Furthermore,the rate of hydrogen evolution over the 1D CZZ nanofibers is significantly higher than that over 2D CZZ nanosheets(27.25 mmol h^-1 g^-1,in the presence of a Pt co-catalyst)prepared by the same sulfurization and deposition procedures.This can be ascribed to the significantly smaller geometric sizes of 1D nanofibers compared to those of 2D nanosheets,resulting in effectively suppressed recombination of photogenerated charge carriers and promotion of photocatalytic H2 evolution performance.

Polymer nanofibers prepared by low-voltage near-field electrospinning

Elcctrospiiming is a straightforward method to produce micro/nanoscale fibers from polymer solutions typically using an operating voltage of 10 kV 30 kV and spinning distance of 10 cm 20 cm. In this paper, polyvinyl pyrrolidone （PVP） non-woven nanofibers with diameters of 200 nm 900 nm were prepared by low-voltage near-field electrospinning with a working voltage of less than 2.8 kV and a spinning distance of less than 10 mm. Besides the uniform fibers, beaded-fibers were also fabricated and the formation mechanism was discussed. Particularly, a series of experiments were carried out to explore the influence of processing variables on the formation of near-field electrospun PVP nanofibers, including concentration, humidity, collecting position, and spinning distance.

ELECTROSPINNING OF ZEIN/CHITOSAN COMPOSITE FIBROUS MEMBRANES

Zein/chitosan composite fibrous membranes were fabricated from aqueous ethanol solutions by electrospinning. Poly（vinyl pyrrolidone） （PVP） was introduced to facilitate the electrospinning process of zein/chitosan composites. The asspun zein/chitosan/PVP composite fibrous membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and tensile tests. SEM images indicated that increasing zein and PVP concentrations led to an increase in average diameters of the composite fibers. In order to improve stability in wet stage and mechanical properties, the composite fibrous membranes were crosslinked by hexamethylene diisocyanate （HDI）. The crosslinked composite fibrous membranes showed slight morphological change after immersion in water for 24 h. Mechanical tests revealed that tensile strength and elongation at break of the composite fibrous membranes were increased after crosslinking, whereas Young＇s modulus was decreased.

Research progress in electrospinning engineering for all-solid-state electrolytes of lithium metal batteries

Owing to safety issue and low energy density of liquid lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),all-solid-state lithium metal batteries(ASLMBs)with unique all-solid-state electrolytes(SEs)have attracted wide attentions.This arises mainly from the advantages of the SEs in the suppression of lithium dendrite growth,long cycle life,and broad working temperature range,showing huge potential applications in electronic devices,electric vehicles,smart grids,and biomedical devices.However,SEs suffer from low lithiumion conductivity and low mechanical integrity,slowing down the development of practical ASLMBs.Nanostructure engineering is of great efficiency in tuning the structure and composition of the SEs with improved lithium-ion conductivity and mechanical integrity.Among various available technologies for nanostructure engineering,electrospinning is a promising technique because of its simple operation,cost-effectiveness,and efficient integration with different components.In this review,we will first give a simple description of the electrospinning process.Then,the use of electrospinning technique in the synthesis of various SEs is summarized,for example,organic nanofibrous matrix,organic/inorganic nanofibrous matrix,and inorganic nanofibrous matrix combined with other components.The current development of the advanced architectures of SEs through electrospinning technology is also presented to provide references and ideas for designing high-performance ASLMBs.Finally,an outlook and further challenges in the preparation of advanced SEs for ASLMBs through electrospinning engineering are given.

Electrospinning synthesis of porous boron-doped silica nanofibers for oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkanes

The discovery of the high activity and selectivity of boron-based catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation(ODH)of alkanes to olefins has attracted significant attention in the exploration of a new method for the synthesis of highly active and selective catalysts.Herein,we describe the synthesis of porous boron-doped silica nanofibers(PBSNs)100-150 nm in diameter by electrospinning and the study of their catalytic performance.The electrospinning synthesis of the catalyst ensures the uniform dispersion and stability of the boron species on the open silica fiber framework.The one-dimensional nanofibers with open pore structures not only prevented diffusion limitation but also guaranteed high catalytic activity at high weight hourly space velocity(WHSV)in the ODH of alkanes.Compared to other supported boron oxide catalysts,PBSN catalysts showed higher olefin selectivity and stability.The presence of Si-OH groups in silica-supported boron catalysts may cause low propylene selectivity during the ODH of propane.When the ODH conversion of ethane reached 44.3%,the selectivity and productivity of ethylene were 84%and 44.2%g_(cat)^(-1)s^(-1),respectively.In the case of propane ODH,the conversion,selectivity of olefins,and productivity of propylene are 19.2%,90%,and 76.6 jimol g_(cat)^(-1)s^(-1),respectively.No significant variations in the conversion and product selectivity occurred during 20 h of operation at a high WHSV of 84.6 h^(-1).Transient analysis and kinetic experiments indicated that the activation of O2 was influenced by alkanes during the ODH reaction.

Tunable 3D Nanofiber Architecture of Polycaprolactone by Divergence Electrospinning for Potential Tissue Engineering Applications

The creation of biomimetic cell environments with micro and nanoscale topographical features resembling native tissues is critical for tissue engineering. To address this challenge, this study focuses on an innovative electrospinning strategy that adopts a symmetrically divergent electric field to induce rapid self-assembly of aligned polycaprolactone(PCL) nanofibers into a centimeter-scale architecture between separately grounded bevels. The 3D microstructures of the nanofiber scaffolds were characterized through a series of sectioning in both vertical and horizontal directions. PCL/collagen(type I)nanofiber scaffolds with different density gradients were incorporated in sodium alginate hydrogels and subjected to elemental analysis. Human fibroblasts were seeded onto the scaffolds and cultured for 7 days. Our studies showed that the inclination angle of the collector had significant effects on nanofiber attributes, including the mean diameter, density gradient, and alignment gradient. The fiber density and alignment at the peripheral area of the 45°-collector decreased by 21% and 55%, respectively, along the z-axis,while those of the 60°-collector decreased by 71% and 60%, respectively. By altering the geometry of the conductive areas on the collecting bevels, polyhedral and cylindrical scaffolds composed of aligned fibers were directly fabricated. By using a four-bevel collector, the nanofibers formed a matrix of microgrids with a density of 11%. The gradient of nitrogen-to-carbon ratio in the scaffold-incorporated hydrogel was consistent with the nanofiber density gradient. The scaffolds provided biophysical stimuli to facilitate cell adhesion, proliferation, and morphogenesis in 3D.

Recent Progress on the Fabrication of Ultrafine Polyamide-6 Based Nanofibers Via Electrospinning: A Topical Review

Electrospinning is a highly versatile technique to prepare continuous fibers with diameters of the order of nanometers. The remarkable high aspect ratio and high porosity bring electrospun nanofibers highly attractive to various nanotechnological applications such as filtration membranes, protective clothing, drug delivery, tissue-engineering, biosensors, catalysis, fuel cells and so on. In this review, we collectively summarized the recent progress in developments of the electrospun ultrafine polyamide-6 based nanofibers preparation,characterization and their applications. Information of this polyamide-6 and composites together with their processing conditions for electrospinning of ultrafine nanofibers has been summarized in this review. The recent developments made during last few years on these materials are addressed in this review. We are anticipating that this review certainly drive the researchers for developing more intensive investigation for exploring in many technological areas.

Decoration of Electrospun Nanofibers with Magnetic Nanoparticles via Electrospinning and Sol-gel Process

Polyacrylonitrile（PAN）/Fe3O4 composite nanofibers were successfully obtained through electrospinning and sol-gel technology. The resulting magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were homogeneously distributed on the surface of PAN nanofibers and the diameters of polyacrylonitrile nanofibers and nanoparticles were easily controlled, respectively. The distribution of Fe3O4 nanoparticles inside the nanofibrous composite was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction reveals the presence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the composite nanofiber. The resulting sample shows a super paramagnetic behavior.

Electrospinning Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)/Halloysite Nanotubes (HNTs) Composite Nanofibers

The paper was aimed at the PMMA/HNTs composite nanofibers with well enhanced mechanical properties prepared by electrospinning technique for the first time. A series of characterizations were used to illustrate the structure and properties of the composite nanofibers by SEM, XRD, FTIR and DSC techniques. The effect of the PMMA/HNTs composite nanofibers in relationship to the mass percentage of HNTs was investigated. The results indicated that HNTs wrapped in polymer matrix were highly oriented and dispersed by the electrospinning technique, resulting in improved thermal stability of the polymer. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the PMMA/HNTs composite nanofibers which were dependent on HNTs mass content were measured, and good enhanced mechanical properties were obtained.

Synthesis and Electrical Properties of TiO_2 Nanoparticles Embedded in Polyamide-6 Nanofibers Via Electrospinning

We report on the synthesis and characterizations of TiO2 nanoparticles embedded in polyamide-6composite nanofibers by using electrospinning technique. The influence of substrate on the electrical characteristics of polyamide-6/TiO2 composite nanofibers was investigated. The resultant nanofibers exhibit good incorporation of TiO2 nanoparticles. The doping of TiO2 nanoparticles into the polyamide-6 nanofibers were confirmed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Photoluminescence（PL） and cathodoluminescence（CL） spectroscopy were also used to characterize the samples.The PL and CL spectra reveal that the as-spun polyamide-6/TiO2 composite nanofibers consisted of overlapping of two broad emission bands due to the contribution of polyamide-6（centered at about 475 nm）, which might originate from organic functional groups of polyamide-6 and TiO2 nanoparticles（centered around 550 nm）. The electrical conductivity of the polyamide-6/TiO2 composite nanofibers on different substrates was carried out.It was found that the electrical conductivity of the polyamide-6/TiO2 composite nanofibers on silicon substrate was in the range of 13 μA, and about 1 to 20 p A for the paper and glass substrates.