Structural Multifunctional Nanofibers and Their Emerging Applications

Nanofibers are an exciting new class of nanomaterials (NMs) produced by using innovative manufacturing process technologies. Nanofibers are developed from a wide variety of materials of diverse architecture and nature. Nanofibers are divided into the following classes: (1) based on the raw material, nanofibers are classified into organic, inorganic, and carbon and composite fibers, and (2) based on the structure, nanofibers are divided into nonporous, mesoporous, hollow, and core-shell fibers. The geometrical shape (structure) of the fiber materials can be tuned from the non-woven web, yarn, to bulk structures using nanofiber fabrication techniques. Nanofibers have been widely used in a range of applications, such as energy generation, production, and storage, environmental protection and improvement, tissue engineering, pharmaceutical, and biomedical applications. This chapter discusses the nanofibers’ types, structures, fabrication techniques, inherent properties, and how these properties affect their potential usage.