Advances in electrospun TiO2 nanofibers: Design, construction, and applications

Abstract

• Structure control of electrospun TiO 2 NFs through various strategies was summarized. • Mechanical flexibility adjusting of electrospun TiO 2 NFs and related deformation mechanism were discussed. • Multifunctional applications of electrospun TiO 2 NFs in environment, energy, and sensors were introduced. • Current challenges and future perspectives on the development of electrospun TiO 2 NFs were proposed. One dimensional (1D) TiO 2 nanomaterials, as one of the most important semiconductor materials, which have attracted much attention due to their unique structural feature, outstanding optical or electronic properties. Electrospinning is one of the most facile and highly versatile approaches to fabricate 1D TiO 2 nanofibers (NFs) with high porosity, controllable dimensions, designed structures, and adjustable mechanics, which hold great promise in many areas including photocatalytic degradation, solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, water splitting, sensors, and catalyst supports. In this review, progress in structure/mechanics design, fabrication and multifunctional applications of electrospun TiO 2 NFs are presented. The strategies to prepare electrospun TiO 2 NFs with diverse structures involving porous, hollow, hierarchical, aligned, and 3D self-assembled nanostructures are introduced and analyzed. Moreover, the recent breakthrough in the construction of flexible TiO 2 nanofibrous materials and corresponding deformation mechanism have been concerned. Furthermore, some achievements associated with the potential applications of electrospun TiO 2 NFs in the areas of environmental remediation, energy, and sensors are discussed. Finally, a straightforward summary, main challenges and future outlooks about electrospun TiO 2 NFs are proposed. It is anticipated that this review could provide guidelines for designing and constructing novel TiO 2 -based nanofibrous materials for advanced applications.