Hybrid nanofibers opportunities and frontiers - A review

Functional polymeric/ceramic micro-/nanofibers have surfaced as outstanding materials for designing structures that are very useful in several fields. Among various technologies available to produce electrospun fibers, electrospinning techniques have gained significant recognition. Electrospinning is a feasible technology for producing ultrafine fibers. Exceptional advancement has been made in the development of electrospinning technique and engineering of electrospun fibers to facilitate various applications. Our objective is to provide an extensive overview of electrospinning, including the basic principle, procedure and potential applications. We commence with a concise introduction of electrospinning technology, its principle and equipment. We then discuss its resurrection over years as a dynamic technology for the fabrication of nano/micro fibers with different framework, design, and properties. Subsequently, we review the applications of electrospun nanofibers, their utilization such as smart nanofiber mats, environmental remediation, energy storage, and also as biomedical platforms. We underline the contemporary progress linked to the applications of nanofibers by concentrating on the most important fields. We also propose outlook on the issues, possibility, and advanced approach for future evolution and we provide methods to increase fabrication rate of electrospun nanofibers.