Tunable Surface Properties Research Articles

Tunable nanochannel resistive pulse sensing device using a novel multi-module self-assembly

Nanochannel-based resistive pulse sensing (nano-RPS) system is widely used for the high-sensitive measurement and characterization of nanoscale biological particles and biomolecules due to its high surface to volume ratio. However, the geometric dimensions and surface properties of nanochannel are usually fixed, which limit the detections within particular ranges or types of nanoparticles. In order to improve the flexibility of nano-RPS system, it is of great significance to develop nanochannels with tunable dimensions and surface properties. In this work, we proposed a novel multi-module self-assembly (MS) strategy which allows to shrink the geometric dimensions and tune surface properties of the nanochannels simultaneously. The MS-tuned nano-RPS device exhibits an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for nanoparticle detections after shrunk the geometric dimensions by MS strategy. Meanwhile, by tuning the surface charge, an enhanced resolution for viral particles detection was achieved with the MS-tuned nano-RPS devices by analyzing the variation of pulse width due the tuned surface charge. The proposed MS strategy is versatile for various types of surface materials and can be potentially applied for nanoscale surface reconfiguration in various nanofluidic devices.

Controlling Surface of Rods With Entrained Particle as Asperities

Abstract Changing the surface properties (i.e., roughness or friction) can be instrumental for many applications but can be a complex and resource-intensive process. In this paper, we demonstrate a novel process of controlling the friction of a continuous rod by delivering inorganic microparticles. A standardized continuous particle transfer protocol has been developed in our laboratory for depositing particles from a liquid carrier system (LCS) to the cylindrical rod substrate. The particle transfer process can produce controllable and tunable surface properties. Polymeric binder is used to deliver the particles as asperities over the rod substrate and by controlling their size, shape, and distribution, the coefficient of friction of the rod is determined. Tabletop experiments are designed and performed to measure the friction coefficient following the Capstan equation. The entrained particles on the substrate will create size- and shape-based asperities, which will alter the surface morphology toward the desired direction. Both oblique and direct quantitative measurements are performed at different particles and binder concentrations. A systematic variation in the friction coefficient is observed and reported in the result section. It is observed from the capstan experiment that adding only 1% irregular shaped particles in the suspension changes the friction coefficient of the rods by almost 115%. The proposed friction control technique is a simple scale-up, low-cost, low-waste, and low-energy manufacturing method for controlling the surface morphology.

Flexible Azo-Polyimide-Based Smart Surface with Photoregulatable Surface Micropatterns: Toward Rewritable Information Storage and Wrinkle-Free Device Fabrication

Stimulus-sensitive materials are of great fascination in surface and interface science owing to their dynamically tunable surface properties and/or morphologies. Herein, we have synthesized an azobenzene-containing polyimide (azo-PI) with enhanced chain flexibility for the fabrication of photosensitive surface patterns on a film/substrate wrinkle system or wrinkle-free devices. The phototriggered cis-trans isomerization kinetics of azobenzene groups in the novel azo-PI with various chain structures were systematically investigated. On the basis of the characteristics of stress relaxation that azobenzene reversible cis-trans isomerization induces in the wrinkled azo-PI film/substrate system, a variety of rewritable visual surface patterns with high resolution and a long legibility time (>30 days) could be easily constructed via visible-light irradiation, enabling the wrinkled azo-PI surfaces to be used as rewritable information storage media. Meanwhile, because of the visible-light irradiation strategy, these photoresponsive surfaces could find potential application in the fabrication of wrinkle-free flexible devices. This study not only sheds light on the influence of the azo-polymer chain structure on its photoresponsive behavior but also provides a versatile strategy for realizing tailor-made smart surface patterns on multilayer functional devices.

Carbon Nanostructure Embedded Novel Sensor Implementation for Detection of Aromatic Volatile Organic Compounds: An Organized Review.

For field-like environmental gas monitoring and noninvasive illness diagnostics, effective sensing materials with exceptional sensing capabilities of sensitive, quick detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are required. Carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs), like CNTs, graphene, carbon dots (Cdots), and others, have recently drawn a lot of interest for their future application as an elevated-performance sensor for the detection of VOCs. CNMs have a greater potential for developing selective sensors that target VOCs due to their tunable chemical and surface properties. Additionally, the mechanical versatility of CNMs enables the development of novel gas sensors and places them ahead of other sensing materials for wearable applications. An overview of the latest advancements in the study of CNM-based sensors is given in this comprehensive organized review.

Loops at carbon edges: Boron-assisted passivation and tunable surface properties of carbon nanofibers

During thermal treatment of carbon materials, unstable edge sites can easily convert to structurally stable loop structures. Hence, in the present work, carbon edges are physically passivated via high-temperature treatment in the presence of boron atoms to accelerate loop formation. The highly accelerated loop formation, along with stacking multi-layers at the carbon edges, is systematically investigated via high resolution transmission electron micro microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The boron-added carbon nanofibers (CNFs) at high temperature exhibit a greatly enhanced electrical conductivity due to the high mobility of boron atoms within the carbon structure. In particular, engineering of the loop structures on the carbon edges can alter the overall electrocatalytic activities of the carbon-based materials, as demonstrated in the reductive conversion of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This work not only suggests suitable methods for carbon edge passivation, but also opens up a route towards the advanced design of high-stability carbon materials in various fields.

Tuning the adsorption behaviors of non-noble electrocatalysts to boost valorization of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

We demonstrate that NiCu oxide catalyst with low-coordinated surface sites facilitates the adsorption of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and hence exhibits good electrocatalytic performance towards HMF oxidation reaction (HMFOR).

Formation of inorganic liquid gallium particle-manganese oxide composites.

Gallium (Ga) is a low melting point post-transition metal that, under mild mechanical agitation, can form micron and submicron-sized particles with combined fluid-like and metallic properties. In this work, an inorganic network of Ga liquid metal particles was synthesised via spontaneous formation of manganese (Mn) oxide species on their liquid metallic surfaces forming an all-inorganic composite. The micron-sized Ga particles formed by sonication were connected together by Mn oxide nanostructures spontaneously established from the reduction of a Mn salt in aqueous solution slightly above the melting point of Ga. The formed Mn oxide nanostructures were found to coalesce from the surface of the Ga particles into a continuous inorganic network. The morphology of the composites could be altered by varying the Mn salt concentration and by performing post-treatment annealing. The composites presented a shell of various Mn oxide nanostructures including wrinkled sheets, rods and nanoneedles, around spherical liquid Ga particles, and a liquid metal core. The photoelectric and optical properties of the composites were thoroughly characterised, which revealed decreasing bandgaps and valence band edge characteristics as a function of increased Mn oxide coverage. The photoluminescence properties of the composites could be also engineered by increasing the Mn oxide coverage. The all-inorganic liquid Ga composite could be formed via a straightforward reduction reaction of a Mn-rich salt at the surface of liquid Ga particles with tunable surface properties for future optoelectronic applications.

Two‐Dimensional MXenes for Energy Storage: Computational and Experimental Approaches

AbstractTwo‐dimensional (2D) MXenes (transition metal carbides and nitrides) have gained immense attention in energy storage applications due to their tunable surface properties, broad adsorption (Ultra violet to Near infrared) ability, specific layered structure, superior spin‐orbit coupling, etc. Various structures of MXenes (2D layers to quantum dots) have been studied with mechanical, thermal, optical, and electronic properties. So far, MXenes are mainly reported with experimental studies, and limited with simulation studies. Now, a trend of combined experimental and simulation studies has evolved, but there are only few such examples in the literature. We have also noticed a lack of comprehensive discussion/or report on multifunctionality of 2D MXenes. Here in this article, we have reviewed not only a basic design of 2D MXenes, but also addressed their multifunctionality with their advantages and disadvantages. Various experimental and theoretical studies of 2D MXenes have also been discussed in this review. A convincing perspective of surface engineered MXenes at nanoscopic and elemental levels have been covered comprehensively.

3D printing of micropatterned stamps with tunable horizontal surface properties

Resin three‐dimensional (3D) printing is potentially attractive for the rapid fabrication of micropatterning tools such as stamps, molds, masks, or substrates. Although the horizontal surface finish of a resin 3D printed part is generally considered to be very smooth, it is strongly influenced by the microscale interaction of the printer light source with the photopolymerizable resin. This study demonstrates how a glossy surface can be created on an elastic 3D printed component by extreme overexposure of the cap layer and how this can be analyzed. The average roughness (Ra) values of the surface in the X and Y directions could be reduced by a factor of 4.5 (X) to 5.0 (Y) from initially 0.182/0.343 to 0.041/0.069 μm (X/Y), and geometric accuracy was ensured by undersizing the features in the cap layer. The practical relevance of controlling the horizontal surface properties was demonstrated using a 3D printed stamp to transfer a micropattern of light‐emitting quantum dots. The insights gained will be useful in the fabrication of 3D‐printed tools for creating high‐resolution patterns from quantum dots, semiconductors, and organometallic materials.

Low-cost agricultural wastes (orange peels) for the synthesis and characterization of activated carbon biosorbents in the removal of pharmaceuticals in multi-component mixtures from aqueous matrices

In recent years, bio-based carbons derived from environmentally friendly biomass materials have received considerable attention because of their abundance, easy processability, tunable surface properties and relatively low cost. Herein, a simple, less hazardous and low-cost method for the synthesis of ultrahigh surface area activated carbon material was proposed using orange peels as a carbon source. Within this context, three different biosorbents were synthesized: activated carbon samples derived from orange peels after activation with (i) phosphoric acid by pyrolysis at 450 °C (ORPs-H3PO4(450)) and (ii) at 650 °C (ORPs-H3PO4(650)), as well as (iii) after activation with potassium hydroxide at 450 °C (ORPs-KOH(450)). Characterisation and morphology of all materials has been conducted using various characterization techniques as FTIR, BET and SEM. The adsorption capacity was evaluated in a multi-component fashion for a mixture of five NSAIDs, namely diclofenac (DCF), ibuprofen (IBF), ketoprofen (KPF), salicylic acid (SAL) and paracetamol (PAR). The evaluation of the adsorption was achieved by investigating several variables like the effect of the solution’s pH, of contact time (kinetic modelling) and of the initial pharmaceuticals’ concentration. Acidic pH (pH = 2) appeared to be the optimal pH value while the pseudo-second order kinetic model and the Langmuir model demonstrate better fitting to the adsorption kinetics and isotherms respectively. Increase of temperature from 25 to 35 °C appears to have a positive effect on the adsorption capacity and the negative values of ΔG0 indicated that all target pharmaceuticals were adsorbed spontaneously to the synthesized biosorbents. Aqueous eluents with different pH values were used to accomplish desorption while pH = 6 appears to the optimum pH value for the desorption of the target pollutants.

Single-Molecule Trapping and Measurement in a Nanostructured Lipid Bilayer System.

The repulsive electrostatic force between a biomolecule and a like-charged surface can be geometrically tailored to create spatial traps for charged molecules in solution. Using a parallel-plate system composed of silicon dioxide surfaces, we recently demonstrated single-molecule trapping and high precision molecular charge measurements in a nanostructured free energy landscape. Here we show that surfaces coated with charged lipid bilayers provide a system with tunable surface properties for molecular electrometry experiments. Working with molecular species whose effective charge and geometry are well-defined, we demonstrate the ability to quantitatively probe the electrical charge density of a supported lipid bilayer. Our findings indicate that the fraction of charged lipids in nanoslit lipid bilayers can be significantly different from that in the precursor lipid mixtures used to generate them. We also explore the temporal stability of bilayer properties in nanofluidic systems. Beyond their relevance in molecular measurement, such experimental systems offer the opportunity to examine lipid bilayer formation and wetting dynamics on nanostructured surfaces.

Surface birefringence in FTO thin film fabricated by ultrafast laser

Ultrafast laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs) have been studied intensely in the last two decades, which have become a useful method for surface nanostructures and are widely used to tune surface properties. This paper reported the fabrication of high-spatial-frequency LIPSSs (HSFLs) on FTO film induced by 1,030[Formula: see text]nm femtosecond laser. The morphology, duty cycle and birefringence effects of HSFLs were studied in detail by changing the laser fluence and scanning speed. Clear and uniform HSFLs were formed over the entire ablated area when the laser fluence and scanning speed were 89[Formula: see text]mJ/cm2 and 0.01[Formula: see text]mm/s, respectively. The duty cycle of the HSFL was measured to be as high as 0.36, and the thickness of the HSFL layer was found to be in the range of 409–546[Formula: see text]nm. The phase retardation of the FTO film with HSFLs could reach up to 96[Formula: see text]nm and could be used as an optical attenuator with a tunable range of 71–100% for 532[Formula: see text]nm linear polarized light.

Dynamic electrocatalysis: Examining resonant catalytic rate enhancement under oscillating electrochemical potential

A microkinetic analysis is presented for a generalized electrocatalytic reaction mechanism to evaluate whether oscillating electrochemical potential can be used to achieve resonant catalytic rate enhancement. It is illustrated that because changing the potential changes the free energy of reaction, this approach is conceptually distinct from oscillating binding energies of catalytic intermediates as within catalytic resonance theory. For faradaic reactions in series, no enhancements relative to the maximum steady-state turnover rate (within the potential range spanned by oscillation) are achievable, even in cases where the potential limits favor adsorption and desorption, respectively. It is possible to exceed a time-averaged steady-state rate (weighted by time at each condition), although only if the elementary reactions show disparate responses to potential. In contrast, if a faradaically driven parallel reaction controls surface coverage of a strongly adsorbed blocking species, significant dynamic enhancements over the maximum steady-state can be achieved, albeit at a cost of thermodynamic efficiency. • Electrocatalytic reactions are evaluated under conditions of oscillating potential • Pure series reactions cannot exceed the steady-state rate at the highest potential • Parallel reactions can allow dynamic enhancement, but energy efficiency is sacrificed Recent simulations have shown that heterogeneous catalysts with dynamic properties—for example, the ability to vary adsorbate binding energy with time—could, in principle, give higher rates than an optimized catalyst operating at steady state (i.e., the Sabatier principle or “volcano curve” maximum, assuming typical correlations shaping the energy landscape of the reaction). Enhancements may be realized by oscillating catalyst properties at frequencies near the timescales of the elementary steps. Variation of electrochemical potential has been proposed as a possible method to induce such rate enhancements in electrocatalytic systems, but the extent to which this method could be effective has not been fully explored. Deeper understanding of electrochemical systems is also broadly critical, as electrocatalysis is well suited to utilize energy from renewables such as wind and solar power for the production of fuels, chemicals, and materials with low carbon intensity. Certain electrocatalytic reactions can be accelerated by varying the applied potential with time. Requirements for this promotional effect are identified and contrasted with other approaches attempting to create catalysts that accelerate reaction rates with dynamically tunable surface properties.

Porous boronate imprinted microsphere prepared based on new RAFT functioned cellulose nanocrystalline with multiple H-bonding at the emulsion droplet interface for highly specific separation of Naringin

For porous molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs), introduction of special functional groups and integration porous structure support will endow the MIPs with tunable surface properties and specific affinity performance. Herein, by combination of RAFT molecular imprinting, Pickering emulsion, and boronate affinity methods, a new kind of porous imprinted microspheres (BA-HPMIPs) using the low pKa value of APBA (1-allylpyridinium-3-boronic acid, pKa = 7.4) as functional monomer was prepared for specific molecular recognition and separation of NRG. Meanwhile, the novel RAFT functioned surfactants with dual amide multiple H-bonds were designed as stabilized particles was used to promote sustainability, which further confer them multifunctionality and/or by polymerizing the Pickering emulsion itself. Equilibrium adsorption was reached rapidly within 360 min, and the maximum equilibrium binding capacities of BA-HPMIPs were found to be 118.32 µmol g−1 for NRG. Furthermore, they had a stronger selectivity towards NRG than other competitive target (i.e rutin, catechol, ARS, o-nitrophenol). Moreover, BA-HPMIPs have shown outstanding reusability of 8.63 % loss in enrichment performance after five times repeatedly. As a proof of this concept, a commercially avaliable NRG with purity could be effectively extracted and concentrated to 96.75 % purity. These results demonstrated that, a new kind of porous imprinted microsphere with abundant porous structure and boronic acid recognizing sites has great potential for separation and purification of industrial samples under neutral conditions.

Electrospun Sulfonatocalix[4]arene Loaded Blended Nanofibers: Process Optimization and In Vitro Studies.

In the past decade, electrospun nanofibers made of biodegradable polymers have been used for different biomedical applications due to their flexible features in terms of surface area to volume ratio, pores, and fiber size, as well as their highly tunable surface properties. Recently, interest is growing in the use of supramolecular structures in combination with electrospun nanofibers for the fabrication of bioactive platforms with improved in vitro responses, to be used for innovative therapeutic treatments. Herein, sulfonatocalix[4]arene (SCX4) was synthesized from p-tert-butyl-calix[4]arene and embedded in electrospun nanofibers made of polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin (GEL). The supramolecular structure of SCX4 and its efficient entrapment into electrospun fibers was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy and FTIR analysis, respectively. SEM analysis supported via image analysis enabled the investigation of the fiber morphology at the sub-micrometric scale, showing a drastic reduction in fiber diameters in the presence of SCX4: 267 ± 14 nm (without SCX) to 115 ± 5 nm (3% SCX4). Moreover, it was demonstrated that SCX4 significantly contributes to the hydrophilic properties of the fiber surface, as was confirmed by the reduction in contact angles from 54 ± 1.4° to 31 ± 5.5° as the SCX4 amount increased, while no effects on thermal stability were recognized, as was confirmed by TGA analyses. In vitro tests also confirmed that SCX4 is not cytotoxic, but plays a supporting role in L929 interactions, as was validated by the cell viability of PGC15% after 7 days, with respect to the control. These preliminary but promising data suggest their use for the fabrication of innovative platforms able to bind SCX4 to bioactive compounds and molecules for different therapeutic applications, from molecular recognition to controlled drug delivery.

The characterization of a novel magnetic biochar derived from sulfate-reducing sludge and its application for aqueous Cr(Ⅵ) removal through synergistic effects of adsorption and chemical reduction

Removal of heavy metals from the aqueous environment via physiochemical adsorption always remains a great challenge owing to the slow kinetics and low removal capacity for the conventional adsorbent. In this study, the sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB)-rich anaerobic sludge was pyrolyzed for the preparation of magnetic biochar, i.e. SBC-20-500 (SBC: sulfate-reducing sludge-based biochar; 20 denotes the biochar dosage, namely 8 g dried sludge in 400 mL iron solution which is equal to 20 g/L; 500 represents the pyrolysis temperature, i.e. at 500 °C) with tunable pore structure and surface properties towards efficient removal of chromium (Cr (Ⅵ)). The characterization revealed that magnetic biochar SBC-20-500 exhibited higher surface area and larger pore volume compared to non-magnetic SBC-500. Batch experiments on Cr (Ⅵ) removal were performed under different biochar dosages, pH values, initial Cr (Ⅵ) concentrations and temperatures. The results illustrated that magnetic biochar demonstrated much larger Cr (Ⅵ) adsorption capacity with qe of 5.3585 mg/g as compared to non-modified one (qe = 0.7206 mg/g). The maximum Cr (Ⅵ) removal efficiency of SBC-20-500 reached approximately 93.7% within 24 h under the conditions of pH = 3.0, biochar dosage = 0.8 g and initial Cr (Ⅵ) concentration = 50 mg/L. The kinetic and isotherm fitting results suggested that the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm model were more suitable for describing the adsorption behavior of Cr (Ⅵ) by SBC-20-500. The XPS and FTIR results confirmed that chemical reduction of Cr (Ⅵ) to Cr (Ⅲ) also played a role in Cr (Ⅵ) removal in the presence of SBC-20-500. Moreover, the Cr (Ⅵ) removal capacity could still achieve 3.50 mg/g even after five adsorption-desorption cycles, indicating the satisfactory reusability of the as-prepared biochar. The results of this study may provide a win-win approach for simultaneous resource recovery from the wasted sulfate-reducing sludge (SRS) and highly-efficient remediation of Cr (Ⅵ)-contaminated environment.

Controlling Rheology of Fluid Interfaces through Microblock Length of Sequence-Controlled Amphiphilic Copolymers.

Previous studies have demonstrated that films of sequence-controlled amphiphilic copolymers display contact angles that depend on microblock size. This suggests that microblock length may provide a means of tuning surface and interfacial properties. In this work, the interfacial rheology of a series of sequence-controlled copolymers, prepared through the addition of bicyclo[4.2.0]oct-1(8)-ene-8-carboxamide (monomer A) and cyclohexene (monomer B) to generate sequences up to 24 monomeric units composed of (A m B n ) i microblocks, where m, n, and i range from 1 to 6. Interfacial rheometry is used to measure the mechanical properties of an air-water interface with these copolymers. As the microblock size increases, the interfacial storage modulus, G', increases, which may be due to an increase in the size of interfacial hydrophobic domains. Small-angle X-ray scattering shows that the copolymers have a similar conformation in solution, suggesting that any variations in the mechanics of the interface are due to assembly at the interface, and not on solution association or bulk rheological properties. This is the first study demonstrating that microblock size can be used to control interfacial rheology of amphiphilic copolymers. Thus, the results provide a new strategy for controlling the dynamics of fluid interfaces through precision sequence-controlled polymers.

Four-Level Structural Hierarchy: Microfluidically Supported Synthesis of Polymer Particle Architectures Incorporating Fluorescence-Labeled Components and Metal Nanoparticles.

Hierarchical assemblies of functional polymer particles are promising due to their surface as well as physicochemical properties. However, hierarchical composites are complex and challenging to form due to the many steps necessary for integrating different components into one system. Highly structured four-level composite particles were formed in a four-step process. First of all, gold (Au) nanoparticles, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles, and poly(tripropylene glycol diacrylate) (poly-TPGDA) microparticles were individually synthesized. By applying microfluidic techniques, polymer nano- and microparticles were formed with tunable size and surface properties. Afterwards, the negatively charged gold nanoparticles and PMMA particles functionalized with a positively charged surface were mixed to form Au/PMMA assemblies. The Au/PMMA composites were mixed and incubated with poly-TPGDA microparticles to form ternary Au/PMMA/poly-TPGDA assemblies. For the formation of composite-containing microparticles, Au/PMMA/poly-TPGDA composites were dispersed in an aqueous acrylamide-methylenebisacrylamide solution. Monomer droplets were formed in a co-flow microfluidic device and photopolymerized by UV light. In this way, hierarchically structured four-level composites consisting of four different size ranges─0.025/0.8/30/1000 μm─were obtained. By functionalizing polymer nano- and microparticles with different fluorescent dyes, it was possible to visualize the same composite particle under two different excitation modes (λex = 395-440 and λex = 510-560 nm). The Au/PMMA/poly-TPGDA composite-embedded polyacrylamide microparticles can be potentially used as a model for the creation of composite particles for sensing, catalysis, multilabeling, and biomedical applications.

Towards Resorbable Elastomeric Circuit Boards for Implantable Medical Devices.

IMDs are typically considered for chronic-use applications and a limited set of implant locations. Resorbable IMDs seek to combine advances in flexible electronics with functional soft materials to enable new applications, including acute care, aiming at temporary interfacing with soft tissues. Poly(oc-tamethylene maleate (anhydride) citrate) (POMaC) is an elasto-mer with demonstrated high biocompatibility and bioresorbability, as well as tunable stiffness and surface properties. Despite its promises, POMaC has not yet been applied in engineering flexible electronics. Herein, a POMaC-based circuit board is demonstrated and characterized. The monomer composition and thermal degradation properties of the pre-polymer was characterized. POMaC-based circuit boards were constructed using traditional microfabrication methods, including spin coating and metallization. POMaC pre-polymer and films were thermally stable to 300°C, exhibit controlled degradation in simulated physiological conditions, and are cytocompatible. Deposited traces were stable during fabrication and processing, and an LED circuit was designed and fabricated using surface mount devices on a POMaC-circuit board. The results indicate the feasibility of POMaC-based circuit boards for use in resorbable IMDs. Future work will investigate more complex circuits, fully encapsulated devices, and mechanical characterization.

Review of the Electrospinning Process and the Electro-Conversion of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into Added-Value Chemicals.

Electrochemical converters (electrolyzers, fuel cells, and batteries) have gained prominence during the last decade for the unavoidable energy transition and the sustainable synthesis of platform chemicals. One of the key elements of these systems is the electrode material on which the electrochemical reactions occur, and therefore its design will impact their performance. This review focuses on the electrospinning method by examining a number of features of experimental conditions. Electrospinning is a fiber-spinning technology used to produce three-dimensional and ultrafine fibers with tunable diameters and lengths. The thermal treatment and the different analyses are discussed to understand the changes in the polymer to create usable electrode materials. Electrospun fibers have unique properties such as high surface area, high porosity, tunable surface properties, and low cost, among others. Furthermore, a little introduction to the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) electrooxidation coupled to H2 production was included to show the benefit of upgrading biomass derivates in electrolyzers. Indeed, environmental and geopolitical constraints lead to shifts towards organic/inorganic electrosynthesis, which allows for one to dispense with polluting, toxic and expensive reagents. The electrooxidation of HMF instead of water (OER, oxygen evolution reaction) in an electrolyzer can be elegantly controlled to electro-synthesize added-value organic chemicals while lowering the required energy for CO2-free H2 production.