Electrospun Polymeric Nanofibers: Fundamental Aspects of Electrospinning Processes, Optimization of Electrospinning Parameters, Properties, and Applications

Abstract

Nanotechnology is a novel interdisciplinary field of science which has captured profound attention in all research areas due to its unique applications. Polymer nanofibers (PNFs) are one-dimensional (1D) fibers having diameters less than 1000 nanometers (nm). Electrospinning (ES) has been recognized as one of the most efficient, simple, versatile, and cost-effective methods for the fabrication of PNFs, among various other techniques such as phase separation, template synthesis, and self-assembly. The electrospun PNFs are being increasingly applied to biomedical fields due to its high surface-area-to-volume ratio, high porosity, and easy tuning of their structures, functionalities, and properties. Hence, these electrospun PNFs owing to their high specific surface area create a three-dimensional (3D) porous structure that mimics the native extracellular matrix (ECM), vitally useful in biomedical applications. In this chapter, we briefly discuss the fundamental aspects of the ES process and the properties of electrospun PNFs. This chapter also attempts to highlight the applications and importance of nanofibers in various fields of biomedicine such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing.