This thematic issue highlights recent achievements in the bubble electrospinning [1] and its applications. It focuses mainly
on theoretical and experimental analyses of the spinning process and advanced applications of nanofibers.
Bubble electrospinning [1] is extremely simple for fabrication of various nanomaterials including nanoparticles, nanofibers,
nano-yarns, nanoscale porous fibers and others. It produces bubbles from a spun solution or melt, some external forces (e.g.
electrostatic force, centrifugal force, blowing air, vacuum receptors, hot or vibrating nozzles, and others) are applied to break
the bubbles, and then the fragments will fly to the receptor with an extremely high speed. Due to solvent vaporization and elongation
due to the air drag, the moving fragments will gradually be solidified into nanofibers.
This issue aims at bringing the promising technology to the fore in both the academic and industrial communities. It provides
a complete review of the state of the art of the bubble electrospinning. Special attention is given to patents relative to
bubble electrospinning and its modifications [2]. Each article in this issue introduces an advanced patent, and can be used as a
paradigm for other applications. Particular emphasis is put on natural-inspired nanofibers (e.g. mussel-derived silk nanofibers),
nanowires (e.g. WO3 nanowires and Sm doped ZnO nanowires@PAN nanofibers), blend nanofibers (e.g. nanofibers with rutin
loading) and fascinated nanofiber yarns. This issue adopts the geometrical potential theory to elucidate the wetting properties of
the nanofiber membrane. All articles in this issue confirm that the bubble electrospinning is a reliable, efficient and promising
technology for the nano-industriation in near future.
Challenges in bubble electrospinning are to control morphology of the nanofiber including the hollow nanofibers and
shaped nanofiber with designed cross-section [3, 4], and nanofiber membrane with the required hierarchical structure [5, 6]. Natural-
inspired nanofibers [7-11] and mathematical models [12-14] for the spinning process and products’ properties are much needed
in the future. The geometric potential theory [15-17] and fractal calculus [18-20] can explain well the products’ properties.
This issue can be served as a good reference for researchers in nanotechnology, material science, tissue engineering, medicine
science, biology, textile engineering, environmental science, chemistry, physics and other fields.
