Electrospun Composite Nanofibers Research Articles

V2CTx MXene interspersed PVDF electrospun nanofibers based piezoelectric nanogenerator for self-powered electronic devices and mechano-electrodeposition

Rapid advancement of 2D materials has spurred extensive research into MXenes, given their remarkable properties applicable in fields like energy storage, catalysis, and energy harvesting. MXenes, notably Ti3C2, hold promise for self-powered sensors such as piezoelectric nanogenerators, yet exploration of other variants is limited. This study presents a Piezoelectric Nanogenerator (PENG) composed of electrospun nanofibers fabricated from a composite of PVDF/ V2CTx MXene. V2CTx MXene synthesis involves hydrothermal synthesis followed by an acid etching process. These composite electrospun nanofibers, deposited onto a copper sheet, serve as the PENG, generating 124 V (open-circuit) and 2.2 µAmps (short-circuit) with manual single-finger tapping. Additionally, the PENG's versatility is demonstrated through its ability to facilitate the electrodeposition of ZnO thin films and power various small-scale electronic gadgets. Mechanical stability analysis over 3000 cycles underscores the device's robustness, indicating potential for enhanced self-powered sensing technology in nanogenerator applications and prompting further exploration of MXene variants.

Electrospun nanofiber composites as a novel preservation coating with antimicrobial and antifungal functions for the archaeological linen textiles

In an attempt to prevent the biodeterioration of ancient textiles, we utilized electrospun composite nanofibers (NFs) for the first time as a coating layer to enhance their antimicrobial and antifungal properties. In this study, we applied a few layers of electrospun NFs derived from various polymers loaded with silver nanoparticles (n-Ag) and 4-chloro-m-cresol onto the surface of aged linen fabric mockups, simulating ancient textiles. The results showed that the coating layer had no discernible effect on the tested samples’ morphology, colour, and optical appearance. Additionally, the investigated samples exhibited significant antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, the examined samples displayed significant inhibition of growth in cultures of Aspergillus species isolated from ancient linen fragments preserved in the Cairo Egyptian Museum. These results suggest that electrospun NFs offer a promising strategy for conserving archaeological textiles against biodeterioration and may open a new avenue for using electrospun NFs in the conservation of other archaeological materials.

Photolytic decomposition of PFOS by electrospun nanofiber composites of Fe(III)/PVDF Under UV-C light

Per- and polyfluoro alkyl substances (PFAS) are emerging pollutants that have contaminated various water streams of the world. Besides polluting the environment, it is related to several human diseases, including cancer. Various methods have been proposed to remove PFAS from water streams including, photocatalytic or photolytic decomposition of PFAS which decomposes PFAS in a quasi-perpetual fashion and does not generate secondary pollution. In this work, perfluoroctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) is used as a model PFAS to study its photolytic decomposition by nanofiber composites (NFC) of Fe (III) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) under ultraviolet (UV)-C light. The nanofiber composite was fabricated using an electrospinning technique with PVDF and iron precursor on the conductive surface of indium tin oxide (ITO) coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. The composite was characterized with SEM-EDX, AFM, XRD, and TGA. It was found that a significant amount, 70 % of aqueous PFOS solution is decomposed by the composites in the presence of traces of hydrogen peroxide and UV-C light. The kinetics of PFOS degradation was fit with pseudo-first order rate constant of 0.056 hr−1. It is proposed that PFOS binds with Fe(III) to form an unstable complex that is decomposed under UV-C light and Fe(III) is reduced Fe(II). Hydrogen peroxide provides the simultaneous benefits of further decomposing the PFOS complex and regenerating Fe(III). The overall results suggest that this nanofiber composite can be used for the photolytic decomposition of PFOS. It is also revealed that two composite mats showed the optimal performance and the increase in concentration of hydrogen peroxide increased the degradation of PFOS monotonically.

Electrospun three dimensional TiO2@N/P co-doped carbon nanofibers framework as high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Electrospinning combined with heating treatment is employed to fabricate N/P co-doped carbon nanofibers encapsulating homogenous ultrafine TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2@N/P-CNFs). Characterization results reveal that one-dimensional electrospun composite nanofibers with high electronic conductivity and structural integrity are interconnected with each other to construct a three-dimensional conductive nanofiber network as efficient ion/electron transport channels. Specifically, the Li//TiO2@N/P-CNFs coin cell delivers an initial discharge specific capacity of 754.9 mAh/g at 100 mA/g and maintains the reversible specific capacity of 486.1 mAh/g after 100 cycles. Moreover, the cell expresses the exceptional rate capability with discharge specific capacity of 272.2 mAh/g at 2000 mA/g, whose capacity can be restored to 474.3 mAh/g as soon as the current density is returned to 100 mAh/g. Furthermore, Li//TiO2@N/P-CNFs cell demonstrates a significant pseudocapacitive contribution of 78% at 1.0 mV/s. The excellent electrochemical performance can be explained by the fact that the N/P co-doping strategy is promising strategy for facilitating Li+ ions storage and transfer by broadening interlayer distance and increasing the distribution of defects and active sites. Besides, ultrafine TiO2 nanoparticles with diameter of about 7 nm harness excellent mechanical strength to maintain structural stability upon cycling. Therefore, easily fabricated TiO2@N/P-CNFs composite nanofibers with excellent electrochemical properties may be served as a promising option for advanced anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Preparation and characterization of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)/cellulose nanofiber/Aloe Vera composites as a biocompatible hydrating facial mask

This study aimed to enhance the properties of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) for use as biocompatible facial masks. To achieve this, nanofibers were developed by blending PVP with cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and Aloe vera (AV) powder using electrospinning. The results showed that incorporating CNFs and AV into the PVP matrix led to the formation of smooth and uniform nanofibers. In particular, adding 3–6 wt% AV powder in PVP/CNF composites improved fiber diameter distribution and uniformity compared to pure PVP. The PVP/CNF/AV nanofibers exhibited desirable properties for facial mask applications. They displayed 86–93 % porosity, which allowed for efficient moisture absorption capacity of up to 1829 %, and excellent water vapor permeability rate of 3.92 g/m2h. The mechanical properties of the electrospun nanofiber composites were evaluated through tensile testing. The results showed that Young's modulus values decreased progressively with the addition of CNFs and AV powder to the PVP polymer matrix, indicating a plasticizing effect that enhances flexibility. The fracture strain remained similar across all composites, suggesting that CNFs and AV did not significantly weaken the PVP matrix. The tensile strength initially increased with CNF addition but decreased with incremental AV loading. Biocompatibility studies revealed that all nanofibers exhibited excellent fibroblast viability, surpassing 98 %. This indicates that incorporating CNFs and AV did not compromise cell viability, further highlighting the suitability of the PVP/CNF/AV composites for facial mask applications.

Stable and effective photo-Fenton catalysts of Fe-alginate/PVDF composite electrospun nanofibers for the removal of methylene blue

Stable and effective photo-Fenton catalysts of Fe-alginate/PVDF composite electrospun nanofibers for the removal of methylene blue

Preparation of the electrospun composite nanofibers for oils absorption

Preparation of the electrospun composite nanofibers for oils absorption

Sustained-release of essential oils by polyvinyl alcohol-based nanofibers

Flavored cigarettes are very popular among consumers. However, many essential oils in cigarettes are lost during storage, and the utilization rate of the essential oils during use is low. Therefore, effective packaging and stable sustained release are urgently needed. In this study, a composite electrospun stable nanofiber storage material was prepared for sustained release. Polyethylene glycol, which has good heat storage properties, was selected as the heat storage material to inhibit the release of essential materials during storage. Porous graphene with good thermal conductivity and a porous structure was selected as the heat conductive component to ensure rapid and uniform release. Polyethylene glycol/porous graphene polyvinyl alcohol-mint essential oil sustained-release composite electrospun nanofibers membrane was prepared by electrospinning, and the morphology, composition, thermal properties, and sustained-release properties were tested. The results showed that the composite electrospun nanofiber membrane reduced the loss of mint oil during storage and enabled the rapid release of mint oil at high temperatures. At room temperature, the retention rate of the mint oil was still more than 90% after 120 h, and at a high temperature (75°C) the retention rate was less than 20% after 10 min; that is, 80% of the essential oil material was released within 10 min.

Efficient Cr(VI) remediation by electrospun composite porous nanofibers incorporating biomass with metal oxides and metal-organic framework

To develop a highly efficient adsorbent to remediate and remove hexavalent chromium ions (Cr(VI)) from polluted water, cellulose acetate (CA) and chitosan (CS), along with metal oxides (titanium dioxide (TiO2) and ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4)), and a zirconium-based metal-organic framework (UiO-66) were used to fabricate the composite porous nanofiber membranes through electrospinning. The adsorption performance, influencing factors, adsorption kinetics and isotherms of composite nanofiber membranes were comprehensively investigated. The multi-layer membrane with interpenetrating nanofibers and surface functional groups enhanced the natural physical adsorption and provided potential chemical sites. The thermal stability was improved by introducing TiO2 and UiO-66. CA/CS/UiO-66 exhibited the highest adsorption capacity (118.81 mg g−1) and removal rate (60.76%), which were twice higher than those of the control. The correlation coefficients (R2) of all the composite nanofibers regressed by the Langmuir model were significantly higher than those by the Freundlich model. The pseudo-first-order kinetic curve of CA/CS composite nanofibers showed the highest R2 (0.973), demonstrating that the whole adsorption process involved a combination of strong physical adsorption and weak chemical adsorption by the amino groups of CS. However, the R2 values of the pseudo-second-order kinetic model increased after incorporating TiO2, Fe3O4, and UiO-66 into the CA/CS composite nanofiber membranes since an enhanced chemical reaction with Cr (VI) occured during the adsorption

Polycaprolactone-Based Composite Electrospun Nanofibers as Hybrid Biomaterial Systems Containing Hydroxyl- or Carboxylic Acid-Functionalized Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes

Composite electrospun nanofibers based on polycaprolactone (PCL) have shown promise in various biomedical applications due to their unique properties. This study investigates the effects of incorporating hydroxyl (–OH)- or carboxylic acid (–COOH)-functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into PCL matrices. Two types of functionalized additives, MWCNT-OH and MWCNT-COOH, were used at different concentrations (0.06 and 0.12 wt%). Various characterization techniques including FTIR, XRD, AFM, SEM, water contact angle analysis, and tensile strength testing were employed to evaluate changes in nanofiber morphology, crystallinity, surface topography, wettability, and mechanical properties. In addition, in vitro cytotoxicity assays were conducted using HUVECs and L929 fibroblasts over 1-, 3-, and 5-day intervals. This study represents a novel examination of (–OH)- and (–COOH)-functionalized MWCNTs as additives in electrospun PCL biopolymer matrices. The findings indicate that incorporating small amounts of (–OH)- or (–COOH)-functionalized MWCNTs enhances the physicochemical characteristics of PCL nanofibers, making them more suitable for biomedical applications. While both types of functionalized MWCNT additives improved properties compared to pure PCL nanofibers, (–COOH)-functionalized MWCNT-incorporated nanofibers exhibited the most favorable features. In conclusion, this research highlights the potential of tailored PCL-based composite nanofibers containing functionalized MWCNTs as advanced biomaterial systems for biomedical applications, contributing to the development of innovative biomaterials for diverse biomedical contexts.

Wound Dressing Based on Silver Nanoparticle Embedded Wool Keratin Electrospun Nanofibers Deposited on Cotton Fabric: Preparation, Characterization, Antimicrobial Activity, and Cytocompatibility.

Wool keratin (WK) protein is attractive for wound dressing and biomedical applications due to its excellent biodegradability, cytocompatibility, and wound-healing properties. In this work, WK-based wound dressings were prepared by depositing WK/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and silver nanoparticle (Ag NP)-embedded WK/PVA composite nanofibrous membranes on cotton fabrics by electrospinning. Ag NPs were biosynthesized by reduction and stabilization with sodium alginate. The formed Ag NPs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and their size was determined by transmission electron microscopy and image analysis. The formed Ag NPs were spherical and had an average diameter of 9.95 nm. The produced Ag NP-embedded WK/PVA composite nanofiber-deposited cotton fabric surface was characterized by FTIR and dynamic contact angle measurements, and the nanofiber morphologies were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The average diameter of the nanofibers formed by 0.1% Ag NP-embedded WK/PVA solution was 146.7 nm. The antibacterial activity of the surface of cotton fabrics coated with electrospun composite nanofibers was evaluated against the two most common wound-causing pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The cotton fabric coated with 0.1% Ag NP-embedded WK/PVA nanofibers showed very good antibacterial activity against both pathogens, and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay results showed good cytocompatibility against L-929 mouse fibroblast cells. However, the increase in Ag NP content in the nanofibers to 0.2% negatively affected the cell viability due to the high release rate of Ag ions. The results achieved show that the developed wound dressing has good potential for wound healing applications.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis of dye-sensitized solar cells composed of electrospun composite photoanodes: A comparative study of natural and synthetic sensitizers

In this study, a transmission line model is applied to the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data of the fabricated dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to evaluate the charge transfer mechanism through the cells. Natural dye from black plum (Syzygium cumini) fruit was used as a cell sensitizer (SC-DSSC) and compared its photovoltaic and electron transport capabilities to those of a cell using a synthetic sensitizer (N719-DSSC). TiO2/ZnO electrospun composite nanofibers were used as the semiconductor layer of the photoanode to enhance electron transfer. The EIS analysis revealed the role of electron resistances through shant, interfaces, and electrolyte solution by measuring the electron transfer kinetic parameters of each element. Based on the results, the SC-DSSC and N719-DSSC are appropriate photovoltaic cells because their ratios of effective electron diffusion length to photoanode thickness are 12.5 and 2.8, respectively. The EIS analysis showed that the electrospun composite nanofiber coated on the photoanode reduces the semiconductor layer's electrical resistance to the cell's total resistance. The extracted natural dye also boosted electron lifetime to 3.68 ms and diffusion coefficient to 54.3×10−6 m2/s while minimizing back-electron recombination at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface. Moreover, the semiconductor-electrolyte interface resistance is over 85% of the overall resistance for both DSSCs and controls electron transport through the cells, which is due to the dye-semiconductor binding intensity. Based on the photovoltaic data, the SC-DSSC cell efficiency was lower than N719-DSSC which is attributed to its higher electron transfer rate-controlling element. Thus, enhancing dye-semiconductor interactions will decrease the rate-controlling impedance and enhance cell performance.

Preparation and in vitro evaluation of cell adhesion and long-term proliferation of stem cells cultured on silibinin co-embedded PLGA/Collagen electrospun composite nanofibers

The present research aims to evaluate the efficacy of Silibinin-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Sil@MSNs) immobilized into polylactic-co-glycolic acid/Collagen (PLGA/Col) nanofibers on the in vitro proliferation of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) and cellular senescence. Here, the fabricated electrospun PLGA/Col composite scaffolds were coated with Sil@MSNs and their physicochemical properties were examined by FTIR, FE-SEM, and TGA. The growth, viability and proliferation of ASCs were investigated using various biological assays including PicoGreen, MTT, and RT-PCR after 21 days. The proliferation and adhesion of ASCs were supported by the biological and mechanical characteristics of the Sil@MSNs PLGA/Col composite scaffolds, according to FE- SEM. PicoGreen and cytotoxicity analysis showed an increase in the rate of proliferation and metabolic activity of hADSCs after 14 and 21 days, confirming the initial and controlled release of Sil from nanofibers. Gene expression analysis further confirmed the increased expression of stemness markers as well as hTERT and telomerase in ASCs seeded on Sil@MSNs PLGA/Col nanofibers compared to the control group. Ultimately, the findings of the present study introduced Sil@MSNs PLGA/Col composite scaffolds as an efficient platform for long-term proliferation of ASCs in tissue engineering.

Triboelectric gait sensing analysis system for self‐powered IoT‐based human motion monitoring

AbstractQuantitative analysis of gait parameters, such as stride frequency and step speed, is essential for optimizing physical exercise for the human body. However, the current electronic sensors used in human motion monitoring remain constrained by factors such as battery life and accuracy. This study developed a self‐powered gait analysis system (SGAS) based on a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) fabricated electrospun composite nanofibers for motion monitoring and gait analysis for regulating exercise programs. The SGAS consists of a sensing module, a charging module, a data acquisition and processing module, and an Internet of Things (IoT) platform. Within the sensing module, two specialized sensing units, TENG‐S1 and TENG‐S2, are positioned at the forefoot and heel to generate synchronized signals in tandem with the user's footsteps. These signals are instrumental for real‐time step count and step speed monitoring. The output of the two TENG units is significantly improved by systematically investigating and optimizing the electrospun composite nanofibers' composition, strength, and wear resistance. Additionally, a charge amplifier circuit is implemented to process the raw voltage signal, consequently bolstering the reliability of the sensing signal. This refined data is then ready for further reading and calculation by the micro‐controller unit (MCU) during the signal transmission process. Finally, the well‐conditioned signals are wirelessly transmitted to the IoT platform for data analysis, storage, and visualization, enhancing human motion monitoring.image

Carbon fiber composite electrodes derived from metal organic polyhedra-18 and matrimid for hybrid supercapacitors

Matrimid and metal–organic polyhedra-18 (MOP-18) electrospun composite nanofibers were utilized to fabricate free-standing, electrically conducting, and high-energy density hybrid supercapacitor electrodes.

From Hemp Waste to Bioactive Nanofiber Composites: Deep Eutectic Solvents and Electrospinning in Upcycling Endeavors.

Natural fibers have attracted increasing interest as an alternative to produce environmentally friendly and sustainable materials. Particularly, hemp fibers have been widely used in various industrial applications due to their extremely unique properties. However, hemp can generate a large amount of agro-waste, and it results in an attractive source of biopolymers for the development of low-cost materials as an alternative to the raw materials and conventional petroleum-based plastics. In addition, deep eutectic solvents (DESs), a new type of truly green solvents, have been shown to remove gums, lignin, and other non-cellulosic components from hemp fibers. Reusing these components dissolved into the DESs to fabricate new materials directly by electrospinning is a very attractive but still unexplored endeavor. Thus, this innovative research to venture new upcycling pathways is focused on the fabrication of composite nanofibers by electrospinning of a gel-based blend of Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and hemp agro-waste (HW) dissolved into choline chloride (ChCl):Glycerol (1:2) and ChCl:Urea (1:2) DES mixtures. The results obtained revealed that the produced nanofibers displayed uniform appearance with diameters ranging from 257.7 ± 65.6 nm to 380.8 ± 134.0 nm. In addition, the mechanical properties of the electrospun composite nanofibers produced from the gel-based blends of HW dissolved in DESs and PVA (HW-DESs_PVA) were found to be superior, resulting in an enhanced tensile strength and Young's modulus. Furthermore, the incorporation of HW into the nanofibers was able to provide bioactive antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Overall, this study demonstrated a promising, more sustainable, and eco-friendly way to produce electrospun composite nanofibers using HW in a circular economy perspective.

Fabrication of innovative wound exudates dissolvable electrospun povidone-iodine loaded poly (Ɛ-caprolactone)-poly (ethylene oxide) composite nanofiber mat based wound bandages

Changing of bandage when nursing chronic wounds is a necessary exercise that encourages effective wound healing but often the bandage gets stuck to the wound, making changing it painful and uncomfortable. Furthermore, most of the wound medicine that is usually smeared on the bandage gets thrown away with the removed bandage unused. To deal with these challenges, we fabricated an innovative, dissolvable, drug releasing bandage based on electrospun povidone iodine (pvpi) blended poly (Ɛ-caprolactone), PCL-poly (ethylene oxide), PEO, composite nanofiber mats. From the experiments, smooth, yellow coloured nanofiber mats of calculated average fiber diameters of 341 nm were obtained from electrospinning an optimized 80:20 (v/v) PCL: PEO composite solution, blended with an optimized quantity of pvpi acting as model medicine incorporated in the structure of the nanofiber mats. From the performance evaluation results, the electrospun composite nanofiber mats excelled in releasing over 50% of the loaded pvpi over prolonged drug release time of 210 min which compared well with 200 min we reported in our previous work. Additionally, the composite nanofiber mats proved to be hydrophilic, influenced by the incorporation of the hydrophilic pvpi and PEO within the composite mats. Furthermore, the nanofiber mats gradually dissolved in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), that was employed as wound exudate mimic, just under 24 h qualifying them as wound exudates-dissolvable nanofiber bandages that could revolutionize the bandage history and make wound care management free from bandage changes as well as totally removing medicine wastage during bandage changing and improving medicine efficacy during wound dressing.
 Keywords: Chronic wounds, Wound exudates, Electrospinning, Polymer composite nanofibers, Electrospun nanofiber bandages, Innovative drug delivery bandages, Dissolvable nanostructured bandages

Repurposing ivermectin and ciprofloxacin in nanofibers for enhanced wound healing and infection control against MDR wound pathogens

Microbial colonization is considered the most common cause of delayed or non-healing wounds, as they compete for nutrients and oxygen with healthy cells, and produce toxins that paralyze the innate capacity of wound healing. Topical application of antibiotics with wound healing promoters is preferred to control wound infections and to deliver essential growth factors. As a proof of principle, we have repurposed the anti-helminthic drug ivermectin (IVM) and antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) in the fabrication of 2D electrospun composite nanofibers (NF) and analyzed their wound healing and infection control efficiency in in vitro and in ovo. The fabricated nanofibers were characterized using FTIR, SEM, and their tensile strength was also analyzed. The size of the nanofibers (CIP-IVM, CIP, IVM) ranges from 225 to 295 nm and showed higher tensile strength compared to PVA. Our composite nanofiber (CIP-IVM NF) with the concentration ranges of CIP 1.6–2.5 μg/mL and IVM 0.3–0.5 μg/mL has successfully disintegrated the biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis infections and improved the fibroblast cell migration in in vitro wound healing model and angiogenesis in in ovo wound healing model. The CIP-IVM NF have yielded a 50 % increase in vessel length and a 60 % increase in vessel junctions in angiogenesis studies. Therefore, repurposed CIP-IVM NF has a dual role in clinical application by controlling infections caused by AMR wound pathogens and enhancing wound healing.

Multifunctional electrospun nanofibrous scaffold enriched with alendronate and hydroxyapatite for balancing osteogenic and osteoclast activity to promote bone regeneration.

Electrospun composite nanofiber scaffolds are well known for their bone and tissue regeneration applications. This research is focused on the development of PVP and PVA nanofiber composite scaffolds enriched with hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles and alendronate (ALN) using the electrospinning technique. The developed nanofiber scaffolds were investigated for their physicochemical as well as bone regeneration potential. The results obtained from particle size, zeta potential, SEM and EDX analysis of HA nanoparticles confirmed their successful fabrication. Further, SEM analysis verified nanofiber's diameters within 200-250nm, while EDX analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of HA and ALN into the scaffolds. XRD and TGA analysis revealed the amorphous and thermally stable nature of the nanofiber composite scaffolds. Contact angle, FTIR analysis, Swelling and biodegradability studies revealed the hydrophilicity, chemical compatibility, suitable water uptake capacity and increased in-vitro degradation making it appropriate for tissue regeneration. The addition of HA into nanofiber scaffolds enhanced the physiochemical properties. Additionally, hemolysis cell viability, cell adhesion and proliferation by SEM as well as confocal microscopy and live/dead assay results demonstrated the non-toxic and biocompatibility behavior of nanofiber scaffolds. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) assays demonstrated osteoblast promotion and osteoclast inhibition, respectively. These findings suggest that developed HA and ALN-loaded PVP/PVA-ALN-HA nanofiber composite scaffolds hold significant promise for bone regeneration applications.

Excellent triboelectric properties of P(VDF-TrFE) nanofibers incorporated with Bi-based oxide-modified KNN polycrystals

Recently, improving triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) performance with inorganic nanofillers and crafting multifunctional nanofiber films via electrospinning have gained much attention. This paper explores the effect of electrospun composite nanofibers based on P(VDF-TrFE) (denoted as PT) with K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) polycrystals doped with bismuth-based (Bi-based) oxides [Bi(Ni0.5Hf0.5)O3 (BNH) and Bi(Mg0.5Zr0.5)O3 (BMZ)] on the output performance of TENG. TENGs with four types of [PT-PET, (PT/KNN)-PET, (PT/KNN-BNH)-PET, and (PT/KNN-BMZ)-PET] are compared, and the output increases progressively from pristine (Voc = 572 V and Isc = 13.4 μA) to PT/KNN-BMZ (Voc = 831 V and Isc = 39.2 μA). The maximum output performance is higher than that of most previously reported inorganic particle-modified films. Electrospinning provides a high applied voltage, enhancing dipole alignment, which aids in the formation of the β-phase. Additionally, modifying KNN ceramics with BNH and BMZ and using them as nano-fillers not only increases the β-phase of P(VDF-TrFE) but also elevates its dielectric constant, enhancing the capacitance of TENG, thereby yielding superior triboelectric performance. Furthermore, when different KNN/BMZ concentrations are compared, the (PT/4% KNN-BMZ)-PET TENG demonstrates the optimum triboelectric output performance, with 13.84 mW of peak power at a matched load of 40 MΩ. This work provides guidance for nanofiller choices for high-performance TENG preparation.