Hybrid Nanofibrous Mats Research Articles

Hybrid Resorbable 3D-Printed Mesh/Electrospun Nanofibrous Drug/Biomolecule-Eluting Mats for Alveolar Ridge Preservation.

In this research study, we developed hybrid resorbable three-dimensional (3D)-printed mesh/electrospun nanofibrous biomolecule-eluting mats for alveolar ridge preservation. The fabrication process involved the use of 3D printing and coaxial electrospinning technologies. Specifically, we utilized a lab-developed solution-extrusion 3D printer to fabricate polycaprolactone (PCL) meshes. Then, bi-layered poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanofibrous membranes, which embedded ibuprofen and epidermal growth factor (EGF), were prepared utilizing electrospinning and coaxial electrospinning techniques, respectively. To ensure the quality of the produced mesh and spun nanofibers, we carried out a characterization process. Furthermore, we estimated the in vitro and in vivo release characteristics of ibuprofen and EGF, respectively, using high-performance liquid chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. In addition, we assessed the effectiveness of hybrid nanofibrous mats for preserving the alveolar ridge by adopting an animal model and conducting a histology examination. The study findings demonstrate that the nanofibrous mats provided a continuous discharge of ibuprofen and EGF for more than four weeks. Moreover, the animal test carried out in vivo showed that animals implanted with this combination of mesh and drug-eluting mats displayed considerably greater mobility than those without mats. The histological analysis revealed no unfavorable impacts from the drug-eluting mats. Our study demonstrated the successful fabrication of resorbable drug-eluting nanofibrous mats for alveolar ridge preservation by utilizing both 3D printing and coaxial electrospinning technologies.

Electrospun Biomimetic Multifunctional Nanofibers Loaded with Ferulic Acid for Enhanced Antimicrobial and Wound-Healing Activities in STZ-Induced Diabetic Rats.

Diabetic foot ulceration is the most distressing complication of diabetes having no standard therapy. Nanofibers are an emerging and versatile nanotechnology-based drug-delivery system with unique wound-healing properties. This study aimed to prepare and evaluate silk-sericin based hybrid nanofibrous mats for diabetic foot ulcer. The nanofibrous mats were prepared by electrospinning using silk sericin mixed with different proportions of polycaprolactone (PCL) and cellulose acetate (CA) loaded with ferulic acid (FA). The in vitro characterizations, such as surface morphology, mechanical properties, swelling behavior, biodegradability, scanning electron microscopy, and drug release were carried out. The SEM images indicated that nanofibers formed with varied diameters, ranging from 100 to 250 nm, and their tensile strength was found to range from 7 to 15 MPa. In vitro release demonstrated that the nanofibers sustained FA release over an extended time of period. In vitro cytotoxicity showed that the nanofibers possessed a lower cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells. The in vivo wound-healing studies demonstrated an excellent wound-healing efficiency of the nanofibers in diabetic rats. Furthermore, the histopathological studies showed the nanofibers’ ability to restore the skin’s normal structure. Therefore, it was concluded that the prepared silk-sericin-based hybrid nanofibers loaded with FA could be a promising drug-delivery platform for the effective treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.

Magnolol Hybrid Nanofibrous Mat with Antibacterial, Anti-Inflammatory, and Microvascularized Properties for Wound Treatment.

Intractable skin defects, which involve excessive inflammation and bacterial infections, caused by burns, trauma, and diabetes are a major challenge for clinicians. Compared with traditional skin transplantation, tissue-engineered skin has the advantages of a wide range of sources, prominent biological activity, and no damage to the donor area during the operation. Therefore, an effective wound-healing mat with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and microvascularization bioactivities is urgent to be developed. In this study, we have synthesized a poly(ester-urethane)urea/silk fibroin/magnolol nanofibrous composite mat (PSM) through electrospinning and post-hydrogen bond cross-linking. The results show that the hybrid magnolol has no adverse effect on the microstructure, porosity, wettability, and mechanical properties of PSM. Antibacterial experiments and cytocompatibility in vitro have proved that the addition of magnolol significantly improves the antibacterial ability and promotes cell adhesion and proliferation of PSM. In addition, the wound model of rat back and H&E staining, Masson trichrome staining, and CD31 and CD68 immunofluorescence staining were performed for evaluating the therapeutic efficiency of PSM. All the results show that the better wound treatment effect of magnolol hybrid nanofibrous mats in infectious skin tissue defected repair indicates their great potential for wound healing clinically.

Biocompatible Aloe vera and Tetracycline Hydrochloride Loaded Hybrid Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Skin Tissue Engineering.

Aloe vera (AV) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) exhibit significant properties such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-bacterial activities to facilitate skin tissue engineering. The present study aims to develop poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL)/ AV containing curcumin (CUR), and TCH loaded hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds to validate the synergistic effect on the fibroblast proliferation and antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria for wound healing. PCL/AV, PCL/CUR, PCL/AV/CUR and PCL/AV/TCH hybrid nanofibrous mats were fabricated using an electrospinning technique and were characterized for surface morphology, the successful incorporation of active compounds, hydrophilicity and the mechanical property of nanofibers. SEM revealed that there was a decrease in the fiber diameter (ranging from 360 to 770 nm) upon the addition of AV, CUR and TCH in PCL nanofibers, which were randomly oriented with bead free morphology. FTIR spectra of various electrospun samples confirmed the successful incorporation of AV, CUR and TCH into the PCL nanofibers. The fabricated nanofibrous scaffolds possessed mechanical properties within the range of human skin. The biocompatibility of electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds were evaluated on primary human dermal fibroblasts (hDF) by MTS assay, CMFDA, Sirius red and F-actin stainings. The results showed that the fabricated PCL/AV/CUR and PCL/AV/TCH nanofibrous scaffolds were non-toxic and had the potential for wound healing applications. The disc diffusion assay confirmed that the electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds possessed antibacterial activity and provided an effective wound dressing for skin tissue engineering.

Green synthesis, characterization and antibacterial evaluation of electrospun nickel oxide nanofibers

Abstract Bacterial infection followed by biofilm formation at the site of injury presents an extensive and tenacious challenge to wound care management as it leads to delayed wound healing. Recently nanoparticles and nanofibers have been widely investigated for their superior physical and biological supportive properties. This study presents the green synthesis of nickel oxide nanoparticles using Gymnema sylvestre extracts. The synthesized nanoparticles were infused into electrospun poly-e-caprolactone/Gelatin hybrid nanofibrous mats. As synthesized nanofibrous mats exhibited good wettability, enhanced mechanical properties, biocompatibility and potent antibacterial activity. Overall, the bio functionalized nickel oxide nanoparticles infused electrospun nanofibrous mats can serve as an effective anti-infective wound dressing.

Electrospun essential oil-doped chitosan/poly(ε-caprolactone) hybrid nanofibrous mats for antimicrobial food biopackaging exploits

Development of antimicrobial electrospun nanofibrous mats is one of the most recent trends in the field of food biopackaging. Herein, novel antimicrobial fibrous mats consisting of blend electrospun chitosan (CS)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) embedded with oregano essential oil (OEO) were fabricated via electrospinning approach and investigated. FE-SEM manifested that as-spun fibers were well-oriented with uniform diameters along their lengths, and AFM displayed the dense nature of the fibrous mats, with surface roughness in the range of 62.9–84.6 nm. The physical interactions and hydrogen bonding between CS/PCL and OEO were verified by FTIR. This novel hybrid mat demonstrated excellent mechanical strength of 14.0 MPa and achieved good water vapor barrier performance. In vitro release assay also revealed that most of plant essential oil loaded fiber mats was remained (56.4–81.7%) after 96 h, demonstrating its durability. Furthermore, the CS/OEO(5%)/PCL nanofiber mats exhibited distinctive antibacterial activity towards Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes) and Gram-negative (Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli) bacteria. This study gives insights to design new fiber-based antimicrobial nanomaterials of interest in food packaging exploits.

Cellulose nanocrystal-polyetherimide hybrid nanofibrous interleaves for enhanced interlaminar fracture toughness of carbon fibre/epoxy composites

The effect of electrospun cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs)-polyetherimide (PEI) hybrid nanofibrous mats on Mode I and Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness of unidirectional carbon/epoxy composite laminates is demonstrated. It is shown that the CNCs reinforced PEI nanofibrillar interleaves result in a ~28% increase in Mode I initial fracture toughness values compared to neat PEI nanofibrous interleaves. Specifically, the interrelated micro- and nano-scale toughening mechanisms including carbon fibre bridging, fibre necking, fibre rupture with CNCs aggregates, and nanofibre rupture contributed to the fracture toughness improvements under Mode-I loading. Nano-scale mechanisms of shear hackles, and crack pinning by CNCs aggregates increased the Mode II fracture toughness up to ~3 kJ/m2 as a result of a 6 wt% CNCs reinforced PEI nanofibrillar mat interleave. Interleaving laminated composites with electrospun CNCs-PEI hybrid nanofibrillar mats has been demonstrated as a novel and prospective strategy to strengthen and toughen interlaminar zones of carbon/epoxy composite laminates.

Controlled Preparation and Characterization of Nigella Sativa Electrospun Pad for Controlled Release

Nigella sativa (NS) oil is an anti-inflammatory agent in the traditional medicine. In the present study, novel electrospun mats contained NS oil/polyacrylonitrile as a sustained release nano-bandage was studied to treat rheumatoid arthritis. It fabricated by one and two-nozzle electrospinning method. To prepare this material, various amount of NS oil as; 8, 10, 12 and 15 wt% was added to the specific polyacrylonitrile (PAN) concentration as the initial spinnable solution. In addition, Tween80 was used as an emulsifier to improve the NS oil release and limit the burst release. Chemical and mechanical properties of the nanofibers were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR and tensile test. The in vitro release of NS oil from the nanofibers was determined using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The release profiles of the singular and hybrid nanofibers produced by both one- and two-nozzle electrospinning methods were compared and the results showed a desirable controlled release for hybrid nanofibrous mats in 5 days. The inherent difference of PAN solution and NS oil could make quasi core-shell nanofiber with PAN core and NS oil cortex. Core-shell structure could be responsible for the observed burst release. Tween80 may cause some weak bonds between PAN surface and NS oil molecule that limit the burst release and act as an enhancer agent. The tensile modules for these samples were measured and the sample with 8 wt% NS oil was selected as the optimum case. The cytotoxicity results showed the cell viability to PAN nanofiber was almost about 93%.

Silk-PVA Hybrid Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Enhanced Primary Human Meniscal Cell Proliferation.

In this study, silk fibroin nanofibrous scaffolds were developed to investigate the attachment and proliferation of primary human meniscal cells. Silk fibroin (SF)-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) blended electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds with different blend ratios (2:1, 3:1, and 4:1) were prepared. Morphology of the scaffolds was characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The hybrid nanofibrous mats were crosslinked using 25% (v/v) glutaraldehyde vapor. In degradation study, the crosslinked nanofiber showed slow degradation of 20% on weight after 35days of incubation in simulated body fluid (SBF). The scaffolds were characterized with suitable techniques for its functional groups, porosity, and swelling ratio. Among the nanofibers, 3:1 SF:PVA blend showed uniform morphology and fiber diameter. The blended scaffolds had fluid uptake and swelling ratio of 80% and 458±21%, respectively. Primary meniscal cells isolated from surgical debris after meniscectomy were subcultured and seeded onto these hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds. Meniscal cell attachment studies confirmed that 3:1 SF:PVA nanofibrous scaffolds supported better cell attachment and growth. The DNA and collagen content increased significantly with 3:1 SF:PVA. These results clearly indicate that a blend of SF:PVA at 3:1 ratio is suitable for meniscus cell proliferation when compared to pure SF-PVA nanofibers.

General Deposition of Metal-Organic Frameworks on Highly Adaptive Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Electrospun Fibrous Substrates.

Electrospun nanofibrous mats are ideal substrates for metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) crystal deposition because of their specific structural parameters and chemical tenability. In this work, we utilized organic-inorganic hybrid electrospun fibrous mats as support material to study the deposition of various MOF particles. HKUST-1 and MIL-53(Al) were produced through solvothermal method, while ZIF-8 and MIL-88B(Fe) were prepared using microwave-induced heating method. The synthesis procedure for both methods were simple and effective because the hybrid nanofibrous mats showed considerable affinity to MOF particles and could be used without additional modifications. The obtained MOF composites exhibited effective incorporation between MOF particles and the porous substrates. MIL-53(Al) composite was applied as fibrous sorbent and showed enhanced adsorption capacity and removal rate, as well as easier operation, compared with thepowdered sample. Moreover, MIL-53(Al) composite was easier to be regenerated compared with powder form.

Electrospun chitosan–gelatin–polyvinyl alcohol hybrid nanofibrous mats: Production and characterization

To avoid using toxic organic solvents and surfactants, production of chitosan-based nanofibers usually requires a concentrated acetic acid solution as solvent. In this study, chitosan–gelatin–polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hybrid nanofibrous mats were successfully fabricated using only a mild concentration (20wt%) of acetic acid by electrospinning. The optimum weight ratio of chitosan:gelatin:PVA was 2:2:4 which produced fiber diameters of around 150nm. The chitosan–gelatin–PVA hybrid nanofibrous mats were further reinforced by crosslinking using glutaraldehyde vapor for 12h. The crosslinked mats exhibited better stability and tensile strength (229.6±39.1N/g). The DSC thermograms indicated that good homogeneity of the nanofibrous mats was achieved. The cytocompatibility test revealed better proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells on the nanofibrous mats than on the sponges. Due to enhanced strength, stability and cytocompatibility of the mats, and a mild acid solution required, the electrospun chitosan–gelatin–PVA hybrid nanofibrous mats show excellent potential for tissue engineering-related applications.

In vitro and in vivo evaluations of phenytoin sodium-loaded electrospun PVA, PCL, and their hybrid nanofibrous mats for use as active wound dressings

In this work, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL), and their electrospun PVA/PCL (80/20) hybrid nanofibrous mats were used for the development of active wound dressings. The biocompatibility and therapeutic effects of the developed products were studied by in vitro cell culture and in vivo experimental rat wound model. The release rate measurements by HPLC showed that the PVA nanofibrous sample containing phenytoin sodium (PHT-Na) has a higher level of the drug release compared to the hybrid PVA/PCL (80/20) and PCL nanofibrous mats. A mesenchymal stem cell was seeded on neat as well as drug-loaded PVA nanofibrous mats. The results represented that the mats provide a suitable environment for cell growth and viability. PVA nanofibers containing PHT-Na have a unique performance for fibroblasts and myofibroblasts cells formation and consequently reaching to the remodeling phase and faster healing of the wounds. Also, PHT-Na-loaded electrospun PVA nanofibrous mats showed a remarkable efficiency in wound closure compared with the treatments results from gauze, commercial wound dressing Comfeel®Plus, and 2 % PHT-Na ointment. Histology analysis showed the formation of epidermis, the lack of necrosis, and accumulation of collagen fibers in dermis for PVA nanofibrous mats containing PHT-Na.

Preparation and performance evaluations of electrospun poly(ε‐caprolactone), poly(lactic acid), and their hybrid (50/50) nanofibrous mats containing thymol as an herbal drug for effective wound healing

AbstractThe use of herbal drugs as biocompatible and nontoxic drugs without special side effects in wound dressings are highly favored compared to that of chemical and synthetic drugs. In this study, the properties and performance of electrospun poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and their 50/50 hybrid nanofibrous mats containing the herbal drug thymol (1.2% v/v) as wound dressings were investigated. The optimized solution concentrations of PCL (12% w/v) and PLA (3% w/v) in chloroform/dimethylformamide (7:3) for electrospinning were determined with viscometry and scanning electron microscopy studies to obtain smooth and beadless nanofibers. The results of the drug‐release behavior along with swelling tests showed that the electrospun 50/50 PCL/PLA hybrid nanofibers had the highest level of drug release (∼ 72%) compared with the PCL and PLA nanofibrous samples. The release kinetics of thymol from PCL, PLA, and 50/50 PCL/PLA hybrid nanofibrous mats were studied by the Peppas equation and the zero‐order, first‐order, Higuchi, and Hixon–Crowell models. Antibacterial evaluations showed that the electrospun 50/50 PCL/PLA hybrid nanofibrous samples containing thymol had satisfactory effects on Staphylococcus aureus compared with Escherichia coli bacteria during the treatment periods. In vivo rat wound‐healing and histological performance observations of thymol‐loaded 50/50 PCL/PLA nanofibrous mats, the commercial wound dressing Comfeel Plus, and gauze bandages (control) after 14‐day post‐treatment periods were evaluated. The results reveal that the electrospun 50/50 PCL/PLA hybrid nanofibers containing thymol had a remarkable wound‐closure percentage of about 92.5% after a period of 14 days. Finally, the crystallinity and thermal behavior of the electrospun 50/50 PCL/PLA hybrid nanofibrous mats with and without thymol were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013

Hybrid nanofibrous mats with remarkable solvent and temperature resistance produced by electrospinning technique

A novel organic/inorganic hybrid copolymer poly[styrene-co-3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl-methacrylate] [P(St-co-TMSPMA)] (denoted as PST) was successfully prepared from styrene and TMSPMA by free-radical polymerization. These composite fiber mats of PST were fabricated via a typical electrospinning process using a single solvent system. As shown in the SEM, the PST composite nanofibers have a smooth and uniform surface and the average diameter is about 0.2±0.04μm. After the methoxysilyl groups (SiOCH3) were hydrolyzed toward silanol groups (SiOH), the nanofibrous mats exhibited remarkable solvent and temperature resistance. On account of good chemical and thermal stability, this hybrid mats can provide a useful platform for developing functionalized mat systems.

Size-tunable Ag nanoparticles immobilized in electrospun nanofibers: synthesis, characterization, and application for catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

We report a facile method to immobilizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into electrospun polymer nanofibers. In this approach, water-stable polyacrylic acid (PAA)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers, fabricated by electrospinning a 10 wt% PAA/PVA solution and subsequent heating treatment at 145 °C for 30 min, were used as nanoreactors to complex Ag(I) ions through binding with carboxyl groups of PAA for the subsequent reductive formation of AgNPs. The as-prepared AgNP-immobilized nanofibers are thoroughly characterized by scanning electronic microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, selected area electron diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Moreover, the effect of AgNO3 solution concentration on the morphology of hybrid nanofibers, Ag content, the size of AgNPs, and catalytic activity of hybrid nanofibrous mats are systematically investigated. We show that spherical AgNPs are uniformly distributed along the cross-section of nanofibers. X-Ray diffraction indicates that the formed AgNPs in the nanofibers are crystalline. The AgNP-immobilized nanofibrous mats exhibit superior catalytic reduction capacity to 4-nitrophenol with efficiency approaching 100% within 30 min and excellent reusability. Furthermore, the size and spacial distribution of AgNPs can be tuned by varying the AgNO3 solution concentration, thus manipulating the catalytic activity of AgNP-immobilized nanofibrous mats. The strategy to immobilizing and manipulating the size of the AgNPs within polymer nanofibers may be extended to other particle systems for various applications in catalysis, energy, sensing, photonic and biomedical applications.

Excellent copper(II) removal using zero-valent iron nanoparticle-immobilized hybrid electrospun polymer nanofibrous mats

We fabricated hybrid nanofibrous mats by electrospinning a polyacrylic acid (PAA)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mixture polymer solution, with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) incorporated into the nanofibers to enhance their mechanical durability. The mats were further immobilized with zero-valent iron nanoparticles (ZVI NPs) as an active agent for potential environmental applications. Herein, we systematically evaluated the interaction between Cu(II) ions and these MWCNT-reinforced ZVI NP-containing nanofibrous mats in aqueous solutions. Both equilibrium and kinetic behaviors were experimentally assessed, and the influential factors such as pH, contact time, and solution ionic strength were examined. The results indicate that Cu 2+ chemisorption occurs via chemical reduction and deposition on the ZVI NP surfaces to form Fe/Cu alloy. The uniform ZVI NPs contained in the hybrid nanofibers offer great specific surface areas that enable very effective, high capacity and strong sorption of Cu(II) ions. The study suggests that the hybrid mats immobilized with ZVI NPs can be a useful material for the removal of Cu(II) ions, and likely many other heavy metal ions, from water, and provides a basis for further development.

Polyelectrolyte Multilayer-Assisted Immobilization of Zero-Valent Iron Nanoparticles onto Polymer Nanofibers for Potential Environmental Applications

We report a facile approach to synthesizing and immobilizing zero-valent iron nanoparticles (ZVI NPs) onto polyelectrolyte (PE) multilayer-assembled electrospun polymer nanofibers for potential environmental applications. In this approach, negatively charged cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning were assembled with multilayers of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) through electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly. The formed PAA/PDADMAC multilayers onto CA nanofibers were then used as a nanoreactor to complex Fe(II) ions through the binding with the free carboxyl groups of PAA for subsequent reductive formation of ZVI NPs. Combined scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry analysis studies demonstrate that the ZVI NPs are successfully synthesized and uniformly distributed into the PE multilayers assembled onto the CA nanofibers. The produced hybrid nanofibrous mats containing ZVI NPs were found to exhibit superior capability to decolorize acid fuchsin, an organic dye in dyeing wastewater. We show that the loading capacity of ZVI NPs can be tuned by changing the number of PE layers and the cycles of binding/reduction process. Increasing the number of the binding/reduction cycles leads to a slight bigger size of the ZVI NPs, which is not beneficial for improving the reactivity of ZVI NPs. The present approach to synthesizing and immobilizing ZVI NPs onto polymer nanofibers opens a new avenue to fabricating various fiber-based composite materials with a high surface area to volume ratio for environmental, catalytic, and sensing applications.

Characterization of PVAc/TiO2 hybrid nanofibers: From fibrous morphologies to molecular structures

AbstractPolyvinyl acetate (PVAc)/titanium dioxide (TiO2) hybrid nanofibers were fabricated by combining sol–gel process with electrospinning technology, which consisted of PVAc as organic segment and TiO2 as inorganic part. The surface structures of the PVAc/TiO2 hybrid nanofibrous mats were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The surface morphology and bulk structures of single nanofiber were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to analyze the chemical structures of the PVAc/TiO2 hybrid nanofibers. SEM scanning revealed that the fibrous structure was formed. AFM observations presented a significant difference in the morphology of the nanofibers before and after hybridization. It was observed from TEM images that some black streaks with various lengths distributed in a nanofiber. The FTIR analysis indicated the newly formed associated hydrogen bond because of the hybrid effect between PVAc and TiO2 sol. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009

Anatase TiO2 nanoparticles/carbon nanotubes nanofibers: preparation, characterization and photocatalytic properties

In the present work, we report the preparation and photocatalytic properties of hybrid nanofibers/mats of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) using combined sol–gel and electrospinning techniques. Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) is used as a base polymer in the electrospinning suspension to assist the formation of nanofibers and subsequently removed by calcination. The hybrid nanofibers are characterized using XRD, Raman spectra, FT-IR, XPS, SEM, TEM and N2 adsorption measurements. The results show that MWNTs are encapsulated by in-situ formed anatase TiO2 nanoparticles, with chemical bonding C–O–Ti between anatase TiO2 nanoparticles and MWNTs. Hybrid nanofibrous mats with moderate content of MWNTs (mass ratio TiO2:MWNTs = 100:20) exhibit enhanced adsorption ability and excellent photocatalytic activity. The composition, diameter and morphology of hybrid nanofibers can be tuned by varying sol–gel formulation, electrospinning parameter and post-treatment condition. TiO2/MWNTs hybrid nanofiber and mats have promising applications in water purification and solar cell areas.