Biomimicry via Electrospinning

Abstract

Electrospinning, an efficient technique to produce long fibers with micro- or nanoscale diameters, has attracted tremendous interests during past decades. By orchestrating parameters in electrospinning, diverse forms of fibrous assemblies and individual fibers with hierarchical structures can be successfully achieved. Some of these versatile micro- and nanostructures display a remarkable resemblance to the materials and objects existing in nature, such as honeycomb, spider webs, extracellular matrix, plant tendril and leaf, etc. The emerging field of biomimicry enables one to mimic biology or nature to develop novel nanomaterials as well as to improve processes for materials via electrospinning. In this review, we present a full panorama of recent studies on biomimicry via electrospinning, and highlight some of biomimicked one-dimensional nanomaterials as well as their functions and applications to date.