Electrospun nanofibers in energy and environmental applications

TLDR

Nanotechnology offers new solutions for sustainable energy and environmental challenges, with nanofiber morphologies particularly attractive for addressing these issues. The review examines the potential and applications of electrospun nanofiberous materials to address critical energy and environmental challenges. Electrospinning, a simple low‑cost method, produces nanofibers from diverse materials—including organics, inorganics, and metal oxides—enhancing their conductive and ceramic properties for energy devices. Aligned nanofiberous metal‑oxide electrodes in excitonic solar cells improve solar–electric conversion efficiency, while nanofiberous electrodes in fuel cells enhance catalyst dispersion and electrocatalytic activity, and nanofiber membranes reduce pressure drop, increase contaminant adsorption, and extend filtration media lifetime compared to conventional mats.

Abstract

Nanotechnology is providing new solutions and opportunities to ensure sustainable energy and environments for the future. Materials of nanofiberous morphology are attractive to solve numerous energy and environmental issues. Nanofibers can be effectively produced by electrospinning, which is a simple and low cost technique. In addition, electrospinning allows the production of nanofibers from various materials e.g. organics and inorganics in different configurations and assemblies. This is highly beneficial for energy devices, where inorganic materials especially metal oxides can be synthesized and electrospun, improving conducting and ceramic properties. Excitonic solar cells fabricated with aligned nanofiberous metal oxide electrodes provide higher solar–electric energy conversion efficiency, whereas fuel cells made with nanofiberous electrodes enable uniform dispersion of catalysts, and thus increase electrocatalytic activity to obtain higher chemical–electric energy conversion efficiency. The nanofibers used in filtration membranes for environmental remediation, minimize the pressure drop and provide better efficiency than conventional fiber mats. The large surface area-to-volume ratio of nanofiber membranes allows greater surface adsorption of contaminants from air and water, and increases the life-time of the filtration media. This review highlights the potential and application of electrospun nanofiberous materials for solving critical energy and environmental issues.