Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibers Research Articles

Electrospun nanofibers membranes of La(OH)3/PAN as a versatile adsorbent for fluoride remediation: Performance and mechanisms

Abstract Excessive existence of fluoride in water resources can lead to harmful impacts on ecosystems and organisms. Electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membranes loaded with La(OH)3 nanorods composites (La(OH)3/PAN electrospun nanofiber membranes [ENFMs]) are fabricated and used as an efficient fluoride scavenger. Adsorbent fabricate protocols, pH, initial F− concentration, adsorbent dosage, and adsorption time, in addition to coexisting anions, were systematically evaluated. The investigation unveils that a pH of 3.0 is optimal for F− remediation. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm of La(OH)3/PAN ENFMs are well described by the pseudo-second-order model (R 2 > 0.997) with characteristics of chemisorption and Langmuir isotherm (R 2 > 0.999) with the feature of single-layer coverage. The existence of Cl−, SO4 2−, NO3 −, and CO3 2− does not significantly hinder fluoride removal by La(OH)3/PAN ENFMs with the exception of PO4 3−. Calculations of ΔH, ΔG, and ΔS reveal that the nature of F− adsorption onto La(OH)3/PAN ENFMs is endothermic and favorable at a higher temperature.

Novel hybrid adsorbent for cationic dye decoloration: Zero-valent nickel nanoparticles supported on activated carbon incorporated in electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers

Novel hybrid adsorbent for cationic dye decoloration: Zero-valent nickel nanoparticles supported on activated carbon incorporated in electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers

Thermal hysteresis enhancement and dispersion thermal stability in paraffin actuators: Comparison of pan-nanofibers vs metal oxide nanoparticles use

In this research, the possibility of thermal property enhancement of paraffin actuators with nanofiber and metal oxide nanoparticle addition was experimentally evaluated. Besides pure paraffin compound, paraffin mixed with the CuO, Fe3O4, ZnO, Al2O3, and electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber nanoparticles were used, and a significant hysteresis improvement at first-level measurement was observed as 24.6, 26.2, 20.0, 29.2, and 30.8 % sequentially for the samples respectively compared with pure paraffin. Thermal dispersion stability of the nanocomposites was comprehended via computer tomographic (CT) investigation. The excessive precipitation of CuO, Fe3O4, and ZnO particles in the paraffin nanocomposite was observed. Precipitation of PAN Nanofiber- and Al2O3-Paraffin nanocomposite was not visually detectable via CT throughputs. The effect of thermal dispersion stability on the hysteresis performance of the nanocomposites was also investigated to ensure long-term consistent hysteresis performance advantages in paraffin actuators. Thermal dispersion stability effect on hysteresis performance of paraffin actuators with CuO, Fe3O4, ZnO, Al2O3, and PAN nanofiber nanocomposite paraffin compounds showed losses as 14.3, 14.6, 5.8, 4.3 and 2.2 % sequentially for the samples respectively.

Electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofiber composites integrated with Al-MOF/mesoporous carbon for superior CO2 capture and VOC removal

Electrospun PAN nanofiber composites with integrated Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and mesoporous carbon (MPC) offer an efficient solution for CO2 capture and hydrocarbon removal. In this study, we synthesized a series of NH2-MIL-101(Al)@MPC composites using a solvothermal method and incorporated them into PAN nanofibers via electrospinning. The composites were characterized by FTIR, XRD, FESEM, XPS, mechanical properties and TGA, showing enhanced surface area and pore structure. NH2-MIL-101(Al) exhibited a BET surface area of 933.14 m2/g, crucial for selective absorption. The PAN/MOF@MPC nanofibers demonstrated improved mechanical properties and achieved a CO2 uptake of 6.35 mmol g−1 at 298 K and 0.55 bar. Additionally, the modified nanofibers demonstrated excellent static and dynamic adsorption capacities for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like acetone and benzene. This study highlights the synergistic effects of combining MOFs and MPCs within electrospun nanofibers, resulting in materials with enhanced adsorption efficiency and mechanical stability. The work presents a novel approach by integrating MOF@MPCs into electrospun PAN nanofibers, significantly enhancing CO2 capture and VOC removal. This innovative combination not only improves the adsorption performance but also advances the mechanical properties of the nanofibers, showcasing a new strategy for developing high-performance materials for environmental remediation. The results offer strong potential for real-world applications in air purification and carbon sequestration.

Flexible electrospun test strips functionalized with a graphene oxide/doxorubicin complex for dopamine detection

A novel flexible test strip has been developed for the selective and sensitive detection of dopamine (DA) using an electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofiber membrane as a substrate and doxorubicin (DOX)-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) as a fluorescent ligand. Employing the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, the fluorescent probe of GO/DOX was controllably and flatly applied onto the surface of nanofiber membranes. The adsorption behavior of DA and DOX on GO in solution and on the surface of solid test strips has been investigated, respectively. The results showed that DA exhibited a higher affinity for GO, both in solution and on the surface of test strips, compared to DOX. Due to the competitive adsorption of DOX and DA onto GO, the addition of DA to the GO/DOX complex led to a significant fluorescence enhancement, attributed to the replacement of the GO-supported DOX with DA of a higher adsorption affinity to GO, enabling the detection of DA. This nanofiber-based method proves to be simple, sensitive, selective, and effectively minimizes interference from common biomolecules and small molecules in serum. Thus, this portable, cost-effective, and selective nanofiber strip holds great promise for early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases by measuring DA levels.

A multifunctional polyacrylonitrile fibers/alginate-based hydrogel loaded with chamomile extract and silver sulfadiazine for full-thickness wound healing

Most conventional wound dressings do not meet the clinical requisites owing to their limited multifunctionality. Herein, a bilayer wound dressing containing both hydrogel and fibrous structures with multifunctional features was developed for effective skin rehabilitation. Sodium alginate (SA)/gelatin (Gel) hydrogel comprising Matricaria chamomilla L extract and silver sulfadiazine (AgSD) drug as antibacterial agents was cross-linked using genipin and CaCl2. Then, the surface of the hydrogel was covered by electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers to fabricate a bilayer dressing. FESEM images revealed formation of continuous, smooth, and bead-free PAN nanofibers with excellent compatibility between hydrogel and fibers. The bilayer wound dressing exhibited satisfactory mechanical virtues including elastic modulus (2.4 ± 0.2 MPa), tensile strength (6.2 ± 0.5 MPa) and elongation at break (21.8 ± 1 %) as well as suitable swelling ratio. Such bilayer dressing revealed biodegradability, cytocompatibility and effective antibacterial performance against gram positive and gram negative strains. Release kinetics of AgSD drug followed a Fickian diffusion mechanism, ensuring sustained drug release. In vivo studies demonstrated bilayer dressing could promote rate of wound closure, re-epithelialization and collagen deposition, facilitating the replacement of damaged skin with healthy tissue. Such engineered wound dressing has a high potency for inducing skin repair and could be used in skin tissue engineering.

Nonpyrolytic Fe−N−C/Fe2O3 Heterostructure with RuO2‐Like OER Activity Synthesized via Polyacrylonitrile‐Derived Conjugated Pyridinic‐Nitrogen‐Carbon Sheet

AbstractPyrolytic single Fe atom‐nitrogen‐carbon materials (Fe−N−C) and their derivatives are excellent catalysts for electrochemical oxygen reduction reactions. However, they exhibit poor oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity due to non‐optimal Fe−O* bonding. This limitation is overcome via electronic structure modulation (i. e., tuning the heteroatom type, concentration, and location within Fe's n≥1 coordination sphere). However, the methods used are complex and energy‐intensive (i. e., 1000 to 1200 °C) raising concerns about reproducibility and cost. This study introduces a method for synthesizing nonpyrolytic Fe−N−C/Fe2O3 composites with similar electronic structure modulation as pyrolytic Fe−N−C and OER activity akin to commercial RuO2. The methodology involves doping low‐melting hydrated Fe‐salts in electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofiber to catalyze its transformation into conjugated pyridinic‐N‐rich graphite‐like sheets (i. e., N−C) at 300 °C. N−C chelate effectively with oxygen‐vacant (Ov)‐rich Fe atoms derived from Fe2O3 NPs resulting in Fe−N−C/Fe2O3 heterostructures. The Fe2O3 coupling effectively tunes Fe−N−C's electronic structure via Ov modulation. Consequently, the Fermi and d‐orbital energy levels are optimized leading to partial filling of the antibonding states, optimal Fe−O* bonding, high electrochemically active surface area, and OER activity. Because Fe−N−C /Fe2O3 is synthesized at 300 °C using well‐established techniques, its complexity and cost are favorable compared to pyrolytic Fe−N−C materials.

In-tube solid-phase microextraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from refinery water samples using UiO-66/polyacrylonitrile electrospun nanofibers followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection.

A simple and quick fiber-in-tube solid-phase microextraction (FIT-SPME) was introduced for the extraction and determination of nine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons followed by a high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector in refinery water samples. For this purpose, a water-resistant metal-organic framework with a high surface area called UiO-66 has been applied in the form of an electrospun coating on stainless steel wires. After that, all the fibers were packed in the lumen of a stainless-steel tube to make the extraction phase. Both one variable at a time and experimental design methods have been used to optimize effective parameters on FIT-SPME. Under optimum conditions, the method demonstrated good linearity between 0.5 and 1000.0µg/L with a coefficient of determination greater than 0.9906. Furthermore, the limits of detection values ranged from 0.2 to 1.5µg/L. The intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations were<8.4% and<9.7%, respectively. Lastly, the proposed method was applied to extract and determine analytes in four refinery water samples as well as surface water containing high total dissolved solids, and well waters where satisfactory results have been obtained.

The effect of using two stabilization temperatures and fixation process on preparation of carbon nanofibers

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are prepared from electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) because of their high carbon content. Heat treatment (oxidative stabilization and carbonization) is necessary to convert PAN nanofibers into CNFs. The fixation of fibrous structure of polymer precursor during heat treatment is always considered as a problem. The aim of this work is to study the effects of two different stabilization temperatures and fixation on CNFs prepared from electrospun PAN nanofibers. In this study, we use two different stabilization temperatures (275 and 300 °C) to investigate the effect of temperature on the oxidation, cyclization, crosslinking, aromatization, and dehydrogenation processes that occur during the stabilization heat treatment. Further, we study the effect of electrospun sheet fixation during heat treatment on the fibrous structure of electrospun fibers and methods to prevent shrinkage and folding of the electrospun sheet. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the effectiveness of stabilization at 300 °C when transforming PAN elctrospun nanofibers to CNFs. Raman spectroscopy showed that carbonization at 800 °C after stabilization at 300 °C lowers the R-value (ID/IG ratio) comparing with that stabilized at 275 °C which indicates increasing the amount of structurally ordered graphite crystallites relative to the disordered structure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that fixation process maintained a uniform fibrous structure for the stabilized sheets without shrinkage, whereas carbonization at 800 °C without fixation resulted in deformed and folded carbonized PAN with loss in the fibrous structure.

Tuning a Superhydrophobic Surface on an Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Nanofiber Membrane by Polysulfone Blending.

Nanofibers made of different materials have been continuously studied and widely used as membranes due to their simple fabrication techniques and tunable surface characteristics. In this work, we developed polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membranes by the electrospinning method and blended them with polysulfone (PSU) to obtain superhydrophobic surfaces on the fiber structures. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show that the fabricated nanofibers have smooth and continuous morphology. In addition, to observe the effect of the PSU-based blending material, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the samples were acquired, providing chemical compositions of the bare and PSU-blended PAN nanofibers. The fabricated PSU/PAN composite nanofibers have a diameter range of 222-392 nm. In terms of the wettability, the measured water contact angle (WCA) value of the PAN nanofibers was improved from (14 ± 1)° to (156 ± 6)°, (160 ± 4)°, (156 ± 6)°, and (158 ± 4)° after being blended with PSU solutions having concentrations of 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 wt %, respectively. This result has proven that the PAN nanofiber surfaces can be tuned from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic characteristics simply by introducing PSU into the PAN solution prior to electrospinning, where a small PSU concentration of 0.5% has been sufficient to provide the desired effect. Owing to its low-cost and highly efficient process, this strategy may be further explored for other types of polymer-based nanofibers.

Theory-Driven Tailoring of the Microenvironment of Quaternary Ammonium Binding Sites on Electrospun Nanofibers for Efficient Bilirubin Removal in Hemoperfusion.

Efficient adsorbents for excess bilirubin removal are extremely important for the treatment of hyperbilirubinemia. However, traditional adsorbents, such as activated carbons and ion-exchange resins, still suffer from dissatisfactory adsorption performance and poor blood compatibility. Herein, we adopted a rational design strategy guided by density functional theory (DFT) calculations to prepare blood-compatible quaternary ammonium group grafted electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofiber adsorbents. The calculation analysis and adsorption experiments were used to investigate the structure-function relationship between group types and bilirubin adsorption, both indicating that quaternary ammonium groups with suitable configurations played a crucial role in bilirubin binding. The obtained nanofiber adsorbents showed the bilirubin removal efficiency above 90% even at a coexisting BSA concentration of 50 g L-1. The maximum adsorption capacities were 818.9 mg g-1 in free bilirubin solution and 163.7 mg g-1 in albumin bound bilirubin solution. The nanofiber adsorbents also showed considerable bilirubin removal in dynamic adsorption to reduce the bilirubin concentration to a normal level, which was better than commercial activated carbons. Our study demonstrates the high feasibility of a theory-driven design method for the development of grafted electrospun nanofibers, which have good potential as bilirubin adsorbents in hemoperfusion applications.

Effect of stabilization and carbonization treatment on the chemical and physical transformation of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based electrospun carbon nanofibers

The present study delves into the production of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) utilising electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber mats, with a specific focus on the influence of oxidative stabilisation and carbonisation treatments. This research aims to thoroughly understand how variations in stabilisation time and temperature, as well as carbonisation temperature, impact the CNFs properties. These properties include fiber size, morphology, chemical and crystal structure transformation, thermal behaviour, and surface characteristics. Our methodology involved a detailed examination of the thermal treatment processes, where we observed a significant decrease in fiber size, though the surface morphology of the fibers remained largely unaffected. We employed Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to track the transformation of nitrile groups in PAN to imine groups, which indicated the progression of cyclisation reactions. Complementary analyses through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirmed a high degree of these reactions, particularly at stabilisation temperatures extending to 250 °C and beyond. The cyclisation process was found to be complete during the carbonisation phase, at temperatures reaching 450 °C and above. Further, x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns offered insight into the changes in the crystal structure, particularly in the packing of the d(002) spacing because of the stabilisation and carbonisation processes. This findings from this study not only elucidate the intricate process of CNFs production from electrospun PAN nanofiber mats but also highlight the critical factors that influence their final properties. These insights are invaluable for the development of advanced CNFs with tailored properties suitable for a range of applications, including but not limited to energy storage, electronics, and as supporting materials in various technological domains.

Synergistic effect of pore generation and nitrogen doping on the enhanced CO2 capture and selectivity of carbon nanofibers

The porosity and heteroatom doping of carbon materials are crucial for their adsorption capacity and selectivity toward CO2. Herein, nitrogen-doped microporous carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were prepared by carbonizing electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers, using nitrogen-rich polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as porogen and nitrogen source simultaneously. The synergistic effect of pore generation and nitrogen doping improved the porosity and preserved a substantial nitrogen content in the CNFs. Compared to the nitrogen-free polyethylene glycol (PEG) porogen, the incorporation of PVP can facilitate nitrogen doping during the carbonization process. With an increasing amount of PVP addition, the specific surface area of the CNFs significantly expanded to 410 m2/g, maintaining a high nitrogen content of 10.32 wt%. The porosity and nitrogen functionalities (Pyridinic N and pyrrolic N) collaborated synergistically in determining CO2 adsorption capacity, with elevated nitrogen content resulted in improved selectivity. The CNFs exhibited remarkable IAST CO2/N2 (10:90) selectivity of 38 and cycling stability, demonstrating their potential for long-term practical applications. This work provides unique inspiration for the design of porous nanofibers with exceptional CO2 adsorption capacity and selectivity.

In situ synthesis of three-dimensional electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofiber network reinforced silica aerogel for high-efficiency oil/water separation

In situ synthesis of three-dimensional electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofiber network reinforced silica aerogel for high-efficiency oil/water separation

Evaporation-Driven Energy Generation Using an Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Nanofiber Mat with Different Support Substrates.

Water evaporation-driven energy harvesting is an emerging mechanism for contributing to green energy production with low cost. Herein, we developed polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber-based evaporation-driven electricity generators (PEEGs) to confirm the feasibility of utilizing electrospun PAN nanofiber mats in an evaporation-driven energy harvesting system. However, PAN nanofiber mats require a support substrate to enhance its durability and stability when it is applied to an evaporation-driven energy generator, which could have additional effects on generation performance. Accordingly, various support substrates, including fiberglass, copper, stainless mesh, and fabric screen, were applied to PEEGs and examined to understand their potential impacts on electrical generation outputs. As a result, the PAN nanofiber mats were successfully converted to a hydrophilic material for an evaporation-driven generator by dip-coating them in nanocarbon black (NCB) solution. Furthermore, specific electrokinetic performance trends were investigated and the peak electricity outputs of Voc were recorded to be 150.8, 6.5, 2.4, and 215.9 mV, and Isc outputs were recorded to be 143.8, 60.5, 103.8, and 121.4 μA, from PEEGs with fiberglass, copper, stainless mesh, and fabric screen substrates, respectively. Therefore, the implications of this study would provide further perspectives on the developing evaporation-induced electricity devices based on nanofiber materials.

Nanofibrous Covalent Organic Frameworks Based Hierarchical Porous Separators for Fast‐Charging and Thermally Stable Lithium Metal Batteries

AbstractEngineering multifunctional smart separators are important for the ongoing pursuit of fast‐charging and safe batteries. Herein, a novel nanofibrous covalent organic framework (COF) based separator with well‐designed hierarchical porous channels is fabricated to effectively regulate mass transport for fast‐charging and thermally stable lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Such a hierarchical porous separator consists of electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers with macroporous channels (average diameter of 323 nm) and mesoporous channels (≈7 nm) created between amide‐group‐bonded COF nanoparticles with intrinsic 1.6 nm lithiophilic microporous channels (PAN/AM‐COF). Computational fluid dynamics and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that PAN/AM‐COF can simultaneously facilitate high‐speed and selective transport of Li+, as well as homogeneous deposition of Li, achieving high conductivity (3.33 mS cm−1) and high Li+ transference number (0.79). As a result, Li || LFP full cell with PAN/AM‐COF displays superior cycling stability at 10 C with an acceptable capacity attenuation (0.037% per cycle) over 1000 cycles. Moreover, when operating under an extreme temperature of 100 °C, the Li || LFP full cell with PAN/AM‐COF can still operate stably for 300 cycles at 30 C, highlighting its potential processing scalability for ultrafast‐charging energy storage systems. This study gives insights into designing functional separators for fast‐charging LMBs.

Hierarchical porous N-doped carbon fibers enable ultrafast electron and ion transport for Zn-ion storage at high mass loadings

Zinc-ion capacitors (ZICs) are a promising and safe energy storage system for portable electronics but usually limited by relatively low areal capacity and energy density. Although increasing the mass loading has been suggested, thick electrode layers and clogged pores unavoidably lead to sluggish electron transport and ion diffusion as well as “dead volume” of active materials. Herein, a millimeter-scale 3D thick-network electrode, composed of closely intertwined hierarchical porous N-doped and free-standing carbon nanofibers (HPNCFs), was fabricated via carbonization of nanoscale zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) particles embedded in electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers. With fast electron/ion transport, large ion-accessible surface area and high utilization rate of active materials, the mass loading of the HPNCFs electrode can reach 48.67 mg cm−2 with a thickness of 4.46 mm. Moreover, the HPNCFs-based ZICs can yield a superior areal/gravimetric capacity of 4.13 F cm−2 /280 F g−1, superior rate capability up to 193.7 F g−1 even at 100 A g−1, high energy density of 99.6 Wh kg−1, and long-term stability for 40,000 cycles. The straightforward approach can provide an opportunity to prepare efficient thick electrodes that could be applied in electrocatalysis, energy storage/conversion, and other electrochemical energy-related techniques.

Highly conductive and transparent metal microfiber networks as front electrodes of flexible thin-film photovoltaics

Simultaneously enhancing the optical transmittance and electrical conductivity of transparent conductors (TCs) applicable in various optoelectronic devices is a long-standing challenge. Herein, we present an innovative approach for fabricating electroplated Ni and Cu microfiber networks (NiMF and CuMF) as highly conductive TCs to realize high efficiency and desired aesthetics in thin-film solar cells and modules. The metal microfibers (MFs) are fabricated using electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers as the template. The large cross-sectional aspect ratio of the metal MF networks remarkably and concurrently improves their electrical conductivity and optical transmittance. Between the NiMF and CuMF TCs, the CuMF sample exhibits a superior figure of merit owing to its exceptionally low electrical resistivity. The metal MF TC is a promising alternative to conventional patterned grids used in flexible Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells, because it effectively reduces the series resistance, which is advantageous for large-area cells. The CuMF can be successfully employed as a ribbon to maintain the solar cell performance in centimeter-scale cells connected in series. The outstanding performance of the metal MF TCs indicates their potential to eliminate complicated monolithic integration processes or front grids and ribbons in flexible thin-film solar cells and modules.

Modification of electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofiber membranes with curcumin quantum dots for enhanced self-cleaning, antifouling and photocatalytic performance for water treatment

This work presents the fabrication of electrospun PAN-CMQD nanofiber membranes by blending laser ablated curcumin quantum dots (CMQD) with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) for water treatment application. The electrospinning process conditions were optimized using TOPSIS-Taguchi L9 (33) approach to develop membranes with superior membrane performance. The PAN-CMQD nanofiber membranes were of average fibre diameter 85.89 nm and exhibited increased hydrophilicity and improved membrane performance with 53.01 %, 36.74 %, 58.03 %, 37.68 % and 57.33 % increase in porosity, solute rejection, fouling rejection ratio, tensile strength and pure water flux respectively in contrast to the pristine PAN membrane. The PAN-CMQD nanofiber membrane possessed enhanced recyclability, self-cleaning ability, antibacterial activity and also showed good heavy metal ion removal efficiency towards Pb2+, Fe2+, Cr6+, Cd2+ and Mn2+. The PAN-CMQD membrane also showed 98.80 % photocatalytic degradation efficiency towards methylene blue dye under visible light irradiation. This study proves that PAN-CMQD nanofiber membrane is efficient in treating contaminated water with improved photocatalytic and self-regeneration capacity and the developed membrane could possibly be deployed for the mitigation of heavy metals and dyes from industrial waste water.

Preparation and Support Effect of Graphdiyne Nanotubes with Abundant Cu Quantum Dots.

Graphdiyne (GDY) is considered a very attractive support for metal nanocatalysts due to its unique structure and superior properties. The metal-GDY interaction can significantly affect the performance of catalysts. Herein, GDY nanotubes abundant in in situ formed Cu quantum dots (QDs) (Cu-GDYNT) are prepared using the electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers collected on the surface of electrolytic Cu foil as templates. The diameter of the Cu-GDYNT is controllable and the uniform size of the embedded Cu QDs is about 2.2 nm. And then, the uniformly dispersed and highly active supported catalysts of ruthenium nanoparticles (Rux/Cu-GDYNT) are produced using the Cu-GDYNT as the support. Among them, the Ru3/Cu-GDYNT exhibit outstanding HER performance at all pH levels. Only 17, 67 and 83 mV overpotential is required to reach a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in 1.0 M KOH, 0.5 M H2SO4 and 1.0 M neutral PBS solutions, respectively. The sample exhibits 3000 CV cycle stability and 20 h continuous electrolysis without performance degradation in an alkaline medium. This work provides a new idea for constructing the GDY-supported metal nanocatalysts.