Arabian Journal of Chemistry (2018) 11, 1165–1188

King Saud University

Arabian Journal of Chemistry

www.ksu.edu.sa
www.sciencedirect.com

REVIEW

A comprehensive review summarizing the effect

of electrospinning parameters and potential
applications of nanofibers in biomedical
and biotechnology
Adnan Haider a, Sajjad Haider b, Inn-Kyu Kang a,*

a
Department of Polymer Science and engineering, School of Applied Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu
702-701, Republic of Korea
b
Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia

Received 20 August 2015; accepted 23 November 2015

Available online 12 December 2015

KEYWORDS Abstract Nanotechnology is a budding technology that has been identified as a vital scientific and
Electrospinning; commercial venture with global economic benefits. With the increasing knowledge of nanomaterial
Parameters effect; manufacturing techniques, research groups around the globe are focusing more on the preparation
Biomedical applications of nanomaterials for various applications. Among the various techniques reported in the literature,
electrospinning has gathered significant interest because of its ability to fabricate nanostructures
with unique properties such as a high surface area and inter/intra fibrous porosity. Electrospinning
has been the most widely used technique in the late 20th (1990) and early 21st (2000) centuries
(Reneker and Yarin, 2008). Since its first use in the early 20th (1900) (Cooley, 1900) century, sig-
nificant improvements have been made in the instrument design, material used, and nanomaterials
produced. The production of nanomaterials (nanofibers) via electrospinning is affected by many
operating parameters. This review paper will provide an overview of the electrospinning (applied
electric field, distance between the needle and collector and flow rate, needle diameter), solution
(polymer concentration, viscosity, solvent and solution conductivity) and environmental (relativity
humidity and temperature) parameters that affect the nanofibers fabrication and the application of
nanofibers in tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, wound dressings, antibacterial study, filtra-
tion, desalination, protective clothing fabrication, and biosensors.
Ó 2015 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open access
article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

* Corresponding author.
Peer review under responsibility of King Saud University.

Production and hosting by Elsevier

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2015.11.015
1878-5352 Ó 2015 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
1166 A. Haider et al.

Contents

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1166
2. Electrospinning and its mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1167
3. Effects of parameters on electrospinning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1167
3.1. Effect of applied voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1167
3.2. Effect of solution flow rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1168
3.3. Effect of needle to collector distance and needle diameter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1169
3.4. Effects of polymer concentration and solution viscosity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1169
3.5. Effect of solution conductivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1169
3.6. Role of solvent in electrospinning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1170
3.7. Effect of humidity and temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1171
4. Application of electrospun nanofibers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1173
4.1. Tissue engineering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1173
4.2. Drug delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1174
4.3. Immobilization of enzymes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1175
4.4. Wound dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1176
4.5. Anti-bacterial studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1178
5. Other applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1178
5.1. Filtration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1178
5.2. Desalination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1180
5.3. Protective clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1180
5.4. Sensor applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1181
5.5. Future direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1181
6. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1182
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1182
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1182

1. Introduction
Since the late 20th century, electrospinning has been garnering increas-
ing attention in the scientific community, as well as in industry, and is
considered to be a vital scientific and commercial venture with global
economic benefits (Reneker and Yarin, 2008; Cooley, 1900). In the lit-
erature, various techniques are reported for the fabrication of nanoma-
terials. These include drawing-processing, template-assisted synthesis,
self-assembly, solvent casting, phase separation, and electrospinning
techniques (Lim et al., 2006; Peng et al., 2013; Yongquan et al.,
2012). With the increasing knowledge about nanotechnology, espe-
cially related to nanoparticles, nanostructures, and, more specifically,
the preparation of scaffolds, electrospinning has become the most fre-
quently used technique. This technique is preferred over solvent casting
and phase-separation because the nanofibers produced with electro-
spinning possess a high surface area to volume ratio and large number
of inter-/intra fibrous pores (Reneker and Fong, 2006). In addition to
the previously mentioned properties, it has the advantages of being
easy to use. The growing literature on electrospinning has helped this
technique to pave the way for advancements in areas such as bioengi-
neering, environmental protection, sensors, catalysis and electronics
(L. Chen et al., 2007; Katepalli et al., 2011; Kijeńska et al., 2012). With
the ability to fabricate nanostructures from various types of raw mate-
rials, ranging from natural and synthetic polymers to composites (con-
sisting of organic and inorganic components), an increasing number of
scientists are attracted to this highly effective technique for the prepa-
ration of various nanostructures, which can find applications in almost
every field. For examples electrospun nanofiber has also played a piv-
otal role in the area of biomaterials. The importance of electrospun
nanofiber in the biomedical field can be determined from the fact that
numerous articles are being published on a regular basis highlighting
its importance in the area of biomedical engineering using biocompat-
ible and biodegradable (natural or synthetic) polymers. Electrospun
nanofibers scaffolds can be tailored in accordance with the purpose
of their use. Such hybrid nanofibers scaffolds play an important role
in providing a familiar environment to the cells, which ultimately
results in their better attachment, proliferation, and differentiation
(A. Haider et al., 2014b; Ostrowska et al., 2014) For example, collagen
fibril has been known to enhance the interaction between cells and
scaffolds. Similarly, electrospun nanofibers scaffolds are also used as
a drug delivery carrier for carrying drugs to their target sites (Wei
and Ma, 2008). Beside, biomedical application, electrospun nanofiber
has also found application in the protection of environment (both
air and water) as affinity membrane (Subramanian and Seeram,
2013; Feng et al., 2013). Electrospun nanofiber could also be used
for producing high-surface-area chemical and biological nanosensors
(Huang et al., 2003). Researchers have further emphasized that sensors
utilizing electrospun nanofibers could show enhanced sensing abilities
for various chemicals such as a nitro compound (2,4-dinitrotoluene –
DNT), mercury, and ferric ions, compared to a conventional thin film
(Schulte, 2005). In addition to chemical and biological sensors, highly
sensitive polymeric nanofibers optical sensors have also been fabri-
cated from fluorescent polymers (Lee et al., 2002; Wang et al.,
2002a). Furthermore, ultrafine electrospun nanofiber scaffolds had
also been used for the preparation of nanotubes, which are of prime
importance in various industries (Hohman et al., 2001). Nanotubes
are prepared by coating the electrospun nanofibers with the raw mate-
rial of the nanotubes followed by evaporation of solvent or thermal
degradation of polymers. Physical and chemical vapor deposition tech-
nique has also been adopted using poly(L-lactide) (PLA) and poly
(tetramethylene adipamide) (PA) as templates (Bognitzki et al., 2001;
Hou et al., 2002; Huang et al., 2003).
Until now, electrospun nanofibers have been prepared from
approximately 100 different polymers with both synthetic and natural
origins. All of these nanofibers have been prepared using either solvent
or melt spinning. However, even with the widespread use of the elec-
trospinning technique, the understanding of this method is still very
limited. This review paper will help to provide an overview of the
A comprehensive review on electrospinning
(a) Ground
(b)
Syringe
pump Drum
Fibers collector
Spinning
tip
Direction of flow
liquid Solid
Charges ends up on
the outside
Figure 1 Schematic depicting electrospinning setup and phenomenon of electrospinning.
electrospinning (applied electric field, distance between the needle and
collector and flow rate), solution (solvent, polymer concentration, vis-
cosity and solution conductivity) and environmental (humidity and
temperature) parameters that affect the nanofibers fabrication. It will
also help in understanding the application of nanofibers in biomedical
field, in addition to their use in filtration, protective clothing fabrica-
tion and biosensors. The review paper will save the reader time and
energy by making available all the aforementioned information in
one document.
2. Electrospinning and its mechanism
Extensive research has been done on the electrospinning tech-
nique (Pillay et al., 2013). Based on the reported research, the
basic electrospinning setup (Fig. 1a) mainly comprised of
four main parts: a glass syringe containing a polymer solu-
tion, metallic needle, power supply, and metallic collector
(with a variable morphology). The electrospinning process
begins when electric charges move into the polymer solution
via the metallic needle. This causes instability within the poly-
mer solution as a result of the induction of charges on the
polymer droplet. At the same time, the reciprocal repulsion
of charges produces a force that opposes the surface tension,
and ultimately the polymer solution flows in the direction of
the electric field (Fig. 1b). A further increase in the electric
field causes the spherical droplet to deform and assume a
conical shape. At this stage, ultrafine nanofibers emerge from
the conical polymer droplet (Taylor cone), which are col-
lected on the metallic collector kept at an optimized distance.
A stable charge jet can be formed only when the polymer
solution has sufficient cohesive force. During the process,
the internal and external charge forces cause the whipping
of the liquid jet in the direction of the collector. This whip-
ping motion allows the polymer chains within the solution
to stretch and slide past each other, which results in the cre-
ation of fibers with diameters small enough to be called nano-
fibers (Bae et al., 2013; Haider et al., 2013).
1167
Ohmic Convection
flow flow
Taylor
cone
Drum
collector
Geometry of cone is
governed by the ratio Zone of transition
of surface tension to between liquid and
electrostatic repulsion solid
3. Effects of parameters on electrospinning
There are several factors that affect the electrospinning
process. These factors are classified as electrospinning param-
eters, solution and environmental parameters. The electro-
spinning parameters include the applied electric field,
distance between the needle and collector, flow rate, and nee-
dle diameter. The solution parameters include the solvent,
polymer concentration, viscosity and solution conductivity.
The environmental parameters include relativity humidity
and temperature. All of these parameters directly affect the
generation of smooth and bead-free electrospun fibers. There-
fore, to gain a better understanding of the electrospinning
technique and fabrication of polymeric nanofibers, it is essen-
tial to thoroughly understand the effects of all of these gov-
erning parameters.
3.1. Effect of applied voltage
Generally, it is a known fact that the flow of current from a
high-voltage power supply into a solution via a metallic needle
will cause a spherical droplet to deform into a Taylor cone and
form ultrafine nanofibers at a critical voltage (Fig. 2a–c)
(Laudenslager and Sigmund, 2012). This critical value of
applied voltage varies from polymer to polymer. The forma-
tion of smaller-diameter nanofibers with an increase in the
applied voltage is attributed to the stretching of the polymer
solution in correlation with the charge repulsion within the
polymer jet (Sill and von Recum, 2008). An increase in the
applied voltage beyond the critical value will result in the for-
mation of beads or beaded nanofibers. The increases in the
diameter and formation of beads or beaded nanofibers with
an increase in the applied voltage are attributed to the decrease
in the size of the Taylor cone and increase in the jet velocity for
the same flow rate. Deitzel et al. reported bead formation with
an increase in the applied voltage using poly(ethylene oxide)