New trends in nanofibers functionalization and recent applications in wastewater treatment
Doaa Zamel, Atta Ullah Khan
Abstract
Abstract Recently, nanofibers got great attention towards industry due to their unique properties, which make them convenient for many applications. Nanostructured materials were reported as the most significant materials because of their large surface area, porosity, and cost‐effectiveness. There are various methods to prepare nanofibers; however, the most effective technique is electrospinning, which is widely used nowadays. Depending on composite materials for nanofibers, preparation is a good advantage for expanding the fiber's mechanical and thermal properties. Recent researches focused on bicomponent and tricomponent materials for nanofibers preparation among these materials were polymers regarding their high molecular weight and ability to be spun with good mechanical strength fibers. Furthermore, the functionalization of nanofibers furnishes them with new characteristics and that enriches their capability for different applications. Functionalization can be performed by nanoparticles or microorganisms, which are recently reported. The combination of other materials with nanofibers increases their applicability characteristics and let them suitable for different disciplines. Currently, nanofibers gained a lot of trust from researchers and industry men to depend on inside many factories for wastewater treatment as they proved their excellent efficiency in pollutants removal at low cost. This review discusses the possible ways of nanofibers preparation, functionalization, and possible applications in wastewater treatment and highlights the importance of functionalization of these nanofibers to be more convenient in wastewater treatment applications.