Advances in electrospun nanofibrous yarns: Improved functionality and emerging applications

Abstract

Electrospinning is a breakthrough technique in materials science that enables the fabrication of polymer yarns with extraordinary nanoscale precision previously unattainable. Nanofiber-based yarns produced by the electrospinning process show unique structural and functional properties differing from traditional materials, such as an incredibly high surface area, mechanical properties leading to significantly increased durability, and architectures that can be designed according to specific requirements. This review details the transformative influence of electrospinning on yarn technology, emphasizing its incredible potential to go beyond the conventional constraints that have previously limited this field and thus fuel innovation in a vast range of applications across many industries. Thanks to innovative nanotechnology applications and high-end materials engineering, electrospun nanofibrous yarns have seriously redefined standards in many important areas, such as environmental sustainability, energy solutions, wearable technology, and biomedicine. However, significant challenges persist, requiring further scale-up and process optimization. This review emphasizes advancements made so far in the art of the electrospinning process for yarn development in pivotal positions for next-generation progress. The future of nanofiber-based yarns and their integration underscores the importance of such yarns in solving current global challenges.