Electrospun aligned nanofibers: A review

Abstract

Electrospinning (e-spinning) is famous for the construction and production of ultrafine and continuous micro-/nanofibers. Then, the alignment of electrospun (e-spun) nanofibers becomes one of the most valuable research topics. Because aligned fibers have more advantages over random fibers, such as better mechanical properties, faster charge transport, more regular spatial structure, etc. This review summarizes various electrospinning techniques of fabricating aligned e-spun nanofibers, such as early conventional methods, near-field e-spinning, and three-dimensional (3D) printing e-spinning. Among them, four auxiliary preparation methods (e.g., auxiliary solid template, auxiliary liquid, auxiliary electromagnetic field and auxiliary airflow), two collection modes (static and dynamic collection), and the controllability of near-field e-spinning and 3D printing e-spinning are highlighted. The representative applications depending on aligned nanofibers are classified and briefly introduced, emphasizing in the fields of 1D applications (e.g., field-effect transistor, nanochannel and guidance carrier), 2D applications (e.g., platform for gas detection, filter, and electrode materials storage), and 3D applications (e.g., bioengineering, supercapacitor, and nanogenerator). At last, the challenges and prospects are addressed.