In this study, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membranes were fabricated via electrospinning and subsequently carbonized at 2200 degrees C to produce freestanding carbon nanofiber (CNF) substrates. The CNF membrane served as the working electrode in a three-electrode electrochemical system, with a copper sheet counter electrode and Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Copper nanoparticles supported on CNFs (Cu-NPs/CNFs) were synthesized through cyclic voltammetry (CV), where anodic dissolution of the Cu counter electrode generated Cu2+ ions, followed by electrochemical reduction and deposition onto CNFs. Crucially, the number of CV scanning cycles (10-15 cycles) was optimized to achieve highly active catalysts. The Cu-NPs/CNFs demonstrated superior catalytic performance in the Ullmann coupling of iodobenzene compared to commercial Cu nanopowder, yielding biphenyl at 85%-89% versus 76.12% for the nanopowder. Material characterization revealed that increasing scan cycles enlarged both the particle density and size of Cu nanoparticles; catalysts prepared with 10-15 cycles exhibited uniform particles with diameters of 30-80 nm. Furthermore, the Cu-NPs/CNFs catalyst maintained structural integrity after 5 reaction cycles, retaining 78% biphenyl yield and demonstrating excellent reusability. This work establishes a controllable electrochemical route for fabricating efficient, separable, and durable carbon-supported metal catalysts.

The oil spills and organic wastewater is a kind of environmental pollution which attracts widely concern. Membrane separation is a potential technology to settle these wastewaters. However, the high cost, the weak antifouling property, and the less functionality of the separation materials limit their promotion. In this work, the sodium alginate/polyvinyl alcohol/graphite-phase carbon nitride (PVA@SA@CN) hydrogel composite membranes were coated on the stainless steel mesh, and the double-network composite membrane was constructed. Results indicated that the PVA@SA@CN composite membrane is superhydrophilic/underwater super-hydrophobic, and this composite presents excellent anti-fouling property. Oil-water separation experiments indicated that the separation efficiency was higher than 99 % even constitutively separated for 50 times, and the highest flux reached to 4.5 x 103 L.m-2.h-1. In addition, the PVA@SA@CN composite membrane also presented exceptional self-cleaning ability. This research provides a new approach to the field of continuous oil-water separation.

Biomass-derived self-supporting carbon materials are considered promising cathodes for zinc-ion capacitors owing to their structural tunability and cost-effectiveness. Natural ramie fibers form a 3D interpenetrating network, which provides excellent mechanical support for flexible electrodes. However, conventional high-temperature activation often induces structural collapse. Although surface etching preserves flexible frameworks, it limits pore development, resulting in underutilized surface area and poor pore-carrier compatibility. These limitations create a trade-off between electrochemical performance and structural flexibility. This study presents a top–down intercalation activation strategy for precise pore regulation in natural plant fiber-derived carbon. To completely preserve the flexible fiber skeleton, this approach successfully constructs an interconnected hierarchical channel system, which effectively reduces the ion diffusion barrier. Consequently, the flexible electrode exhibits abundant defect structures and a high specific surface area of 2477 m2 g−1, which is 50 times that of directly carbonized ramie fibers. These features significantly increase the number of active sites available for charge storage. The assembled zinc-ion hybrid capacitor exhibits an excellent specific capacity of 212 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 and an energy density of 168 Wh kg−1, and retains 91

Polyimide (PI) is very popular in polymer film capacitors due to its excellent performance and easy film-forming properties. However, its relatively low dielectric constant (approximately 3–4) limits its application and development in the field of high-performance capacitors. In general, dielectric constant can be enhanced effectively by adding special filler materials into polyimide. In this study, core–shell structured C@SiC nanoparticles were synthesized via a hydrothermal method. Novel polyimide composites (C@SiC/PI) were obtained by dispersing C@SiC nanoparticles into polyamic acid, followed by thermal imidization. The dielectric constant of C@SiC/PI composite material is as high as 40.2, which is 11.4 times that of pure PI. The maximal discharging energy density reached up to 2.49 J cm−3 with 10

With the growing contamination of oily wastewater, there is a pressing need to identify a material capable of effectively promoting the separation of oil-water mixtures. Although a large number of materials were applied to the oil-water separation, there are few materials can be applicable for a wide range of oily wastewater, and the separation of oily wastewater with complicated oil and water contents is still a challenge. In this study, the stainless steel mesh (SSM) was modified by the (NH4)(2)S2O8/NaOH mixed solution and oxalic acid solution subsequently, then, a micro-thin layer of polydopamine (PDA) was deposited on the modified SSM (PCO-SSM). Results indicated that the PCO-SSM was superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic and exhibited excellent anti-pollution property. The PCO-SSM can efficiently separate a wide range of oil-water mixtures, such as oily wastewaters from kitchen oils, industrial oils and organic solvents. Furthermore, for the oily wastewater with complicated oil compositions and waters at different harsh conditions, the PCO-SSM can also separate them with a high water flux (10(4)-10(5) L m(-2) h(-1)) and separation efficiency (> 99.0 % for most of cases). The excellent separation performance of the PCO-SSM provides a eurytopic material for oil-water separation.

Although organic electrode materials have been considered promising alternatives to traditional inorganic electrode materials for lithium/sodium-ion batteries due to their flexible structural design, derivation from sustainable resources, and environmental friendliness, their development is still in its infancy because of poor electrical conductivity, solubility in organic electrolytes, and sluggish reaction kinetics. Herein, a novel flexible 3D self-interwoven multicarbonyl naphthalene-based polyimide (NTBP)/nitrogen-doped carbon (NC)/acidified carbon nanotubes (HCNT) (NTBP/NC/HCNT) composite fibrous membrane is prepared through electrospinning and thermal treatment techniques for applications in lithium/sodium-ion batteries (LIBs/SIBs). The NTBP/NC/HCNT nanofiber membrane is composed of interlaced nanofibers with multiscale micro/nanoporous conductive architectures. The designed architectures of NTBP/NC/HCNT enhance conductivity and provide a stable diffusion path for Li+/Na+, thereby facilitating rapid electronic/ionic transport and extremely fast reaction dynamics (Li+/Na+ diffusion coefficients similar to 10(-9) cm(2) S-1). Consequently, the flexible NTBP/NC/HCNT cathode provides high reversible capacities of 146 mA h g(-1) and 168.5 mA h g(-1), achieving an unprecedented rate capability of 71 mA h g(-1) at 5000 mA g(-1) for LIBs and 84 mA h g(-1) at 5000 mA g(-1) for SIBs. Additionally, the flexible NTBP/NC/HCNT cathode also demonstrates superior cycling stability, maintaining over 99 % of its capacity after 500 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g(-1) for both LIBs and SIBs. This work offers a novel architectural design strategy for flexible composite organic cathodes to achieve excellent electrochemical performance in next-generation renewable energy storage devices.

Electrospinning is a versatile and rapidly evolving technique that has gained significant attention for its ability to produce nanofibers with unique structures and properties. Over the past few decades, the scope of electrospun nanofibers has expanded from simple polymer fibers to more complex composites and ceramics, enabling a wide range of applications across fields such as environmental protection, biomedical engineering, energy storage, and smart materials. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements, covering material selection, process optimization, and innovative applications. We discuss the unique structural features of electrospun nanofibers, including their tunable diameters, porous architectures, and diverse compositions, which underpin their multifunctionality. Key applications are highlighted in areas including environmental protection and safety, biomedical engineering, energy storage and conversion, and catalysis, as well as emerging uses in flexible electronics, advanced engineering materials, and textiles. Additionally, we review state-of-the-art characterization techniques and discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in scaling up industrial production. Finally, we offer a forward-looking perspective on the future of electrospun nanofibers, emphasizing the need for continued innovation in both academic research and commercial applications.

High-performance porous polyimide (PI) monoliths, including PI aerogels, sponges, and foams, have become one of the hotspots in both researching and applications due to their superior properties such as high porosity, outstanding mechanical and thermal stability, low dielectric constant and thermal conductivity. Up to now, various fabricating methods and applicating situations for PI porous monolith materials have been reported. From the viewpoint of molecular chemistry, porous structure construction, as well as the functional modification, the property optimization and adjustment are feasible, endowing PI monoliths with promising potential for different practical applications (e.g. sensors, low-k materials, thermal management, energy field and utilization, absorption and filtration, photonic utilization, etc.). In this review, the recent progress of porous PI monoliths was summarized in detail based on the fabrication methods, functional modifications, as well as multi-functional applications. Besides, the future perspectives of this field were also provided for reference. Apart from presenting an overview of progress made in the field of PI porous monoliths, this review could also be meaningful for those researching topics which have similarity within.

Nanofiber supports are promising candidates for constructing high-performance nanofiltration (NF) membranes due to their unique interconnected pores and high porosity. Conventional nanofiber supports usually possess excessive surface roughness and low structural stabilities, influencing the formation of polyamide separation layers. However, research on the effects of nanofiber support properties on the NF membrane performances is relatively few. In this study, we systematically evaluated the effects of structural properties of the nanofiber supports on the performances of the fabricated thin-film nanofiber composite (TFNC) NF membranes. The polyimide (PI) support with heat-pressing post-treatments owns a smooth surface and high structural stability due to the welding and compaction of the PI nanofibers. This promoted the formation of a polyamide separation layer with high smoothness and low fouling tendencies. Consequently, the mechanical strength and long-term operation stability of the TFNC-PI NF membrane were much stronger than that of the membranes with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and PVDF nanofiber supports. Membrane performance analyses illustrated that the TFNC NF membranes possess notable higher water permeance while slight lower salt rejection than the commercial NF membrane. Compared to TFNC-PAN NF membranes (18-20 L m-2h- 1 bar-1), the water permeance of the structurally stable TFNC-PI NF membrane was relatively low (15-16 L m-2h- 1 bar-1) due to its smaller surface filtration area and membrane pore size. Further attempts illustrated that constructing interlayers with 2 wt% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coating solutions resulted in the formation of clear and regular Turing structures in the polyamide surface layer. It notably enhanced the water permeance of the membrane by -30 % without compromising the salt rejection capability of the membrane. This study provides fundamental insights into the effects of nanofiber support properties on NF performance and feasible pathways to construct high-performance TFNC NF membranes.

Superhydrophobic materials have prospective applications in the field of self-cleaning, anti-corrosion and antifouling. However, the methods of preparing superhydrophobic surfaces usually have many disadvantages, and the scope of application is limited. Therefore, it is particularly important to adopt a widely applicable method to construct superhydrophobic surfaces. In this work, a general coating method has been used to fabricate superhydrophobic that polyaniline (PANI), titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrie -thoxysilane (PDTS) has been chosen to modified polyimide nanofibrous membrane (PI NFM) (named as: PI-3). The PI-3 membrane exhibited a superior contact angle of 162 & ring;and ultralow adhesion of water droplets. Moreover, it not only displayed the properties of self-cleaning and anti-corrosion, but also had the broad application prospects in membrane distillation and oil/water separation. We conducted a series of tests, including contact angle measurement, roughness testing, wettability assessment, and oil-water separation performance evaluation. In the test of direct contact membrane distillation, it showed that the flux was always retained at beyond 10 L m- 2 h- 1 and the salt rejection was surpassed 99.26 %.

AbstractLi‐Hectorite (Li‐Hec) clays have inherent 2D diffusion slits offering high lithium (Li+) ion conductivity. Such Li‐Hec clays spontaneously delaminate into flexible nanosheets, allowing them to be coated on high‐temperature stable polybenzimidazole (PBI) nanofibers laid randomly onto each other in the form of non‐woven membranes. Here such Li‐Hec coated PBI nonwovens are shown to be excellent Li‐ion battery separators. An effective strategy based on electrospinning PBI followed by a filtration‐through coating of delaminated Li‐Hec nanosheets of appropriate diameter is applied to prepare the separators without the use of any binder. The composite separator shows excellent properties, such as superior wettability (solvent uptake 413%), thermostability (>500 °C), superior flame resistance, and interfacial compatibility. Additionally, the presented separator shows excellent ion conductivity, Li‐ion transference number, cycling stability, and a rate performance that outperforms the common commercial separators. In summary, this work allows for a better balance between safety, high performance, and separator functionality.

The thick electrode design with high packing density of active materials can increase the capacity in a limited space. However, the key challenge is still to develop a system with high space utilization and ensure electron/ion transport in thick electrode. This work proposes an interesting "rebar-concrete" structure, which successfully prepared wood/phenolic resin-derived thick electrode with high space utilization by in-situ polymerization of phenolic resin (concrete) in the wood (rebar) channel. The electrode exhibits an excellent three-dimensional interconnected hierarchical pore structure due to the uniform activation of in-situ anchored KOH particles. The mass loading (35 mg cm-2) and areal capacitance (11F cm-2) of the obtained composite electrode are increased to 446 % and 1257 % of the original balsa wood, respectively. The assembled symmetric supercapacitor (SSC) exhibits a high energy density of 0.63 mWh cm-2 (3.91 mWh cm-3) and an excellent cycle stability (95 % retention after 50 000 cycles), showing good practicability in lighting LEDs or driving a fan. This strategy achieves effective coupling of self-supporting skeleton and powder materials, providing more insights and possibilities for the preparation of high energy density thick electrodes.

Developing strong and simultaneously tough polymeric materials with excellent thermal stability and mechanical performance even under extreme temperatures is truly a challenge. In a disruptive progress, continuous polymeric yarns are developed with a combination of high tensile strength of (1145 ± 44) MPa and ultrahigh toughness of (350 ± 24) J g-1 and high thermomechanical properties from -196 to 200 °C. The comprehensive thermomechanical performance of this yarn surpasses that of previously developed polymeric materials and dragline spider silks. The results demonstrate that the molecular structure of polyimide (PI) with the incorporation of flexible-rigid macromolecular, hierarchically spiral-oriented fibers, and high glass transition temperature (248 °C) are keys for the yarn's notable comprehensive performance in thermomechanical properties. The materials are ideal for technical components exposed to high thermomechanical loadings, such as those encountered in spacecraft or automotive engineering for safety-critical applications.

Accumulation of oil spills and industrial emissions causing serious damage to the natural environment, and the treatment of oily waste water plays an essential role in resource utilization and environmental protection. Although lots of materials have been reported for the oil/water separation, most of them are still high cost and unstable during application in complicated environment. In this study, the phytic acid (PA) was anchored on the surface of stainless steel mesh (PA-SSM). Results revealed that the PA-SSM exhibited superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic properties, and presented ultra-high flux during separating the ether/water mixture (1.3 x 10(5) L.m(-2).h(-1)). When the PA-SSM was employed to separate the high viscosity freezing oil/water mixture, it also presented a high flux of 1.1 x 10(5) L.m(-2).h(-1) , and the separation efficiency was still higher than 99.8 % even after consecutive separated for 60 times. Moreover, the PA-SSM exhibited excellent resistance to acid and salts, mechanical stability and contamination. The simple preparation, low cost and excellent performance of PA-SSM provide an option for the efficient separation of oil/water mixture in the continuous separation and harsh environment.

Using drying spray and vulcanization process to fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) nest-like shape sulfur/carbon nanotube (S/CNTs) with polyaniline (PANI) coating as active material of cathode materials for Lithium-Sulfur batteries. For this composite has higher specific surface area, cross-linked conductive framework construed PANI coating and CNTs which provide a rapid charge electronic channel and improve REDOX kinetics of sulfur species to enhance the electron and ion rate capability and active material utilization. Vulcanized PANI coating act as an effective lithium sulfide host to restrain polysulfide dissolution and efficiently improve the cycle stability. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation confirmed that the electrical conductivity of polyaniline and adsorption of polysulfides was enhanced after vulcanization process. Synergic optimization the parameters of coating thickness, sulfur loading and vulcanization temperature, Under 11 nm of the PANI coating for SPANI@ (S/CNTs), when sulfur loading is low (1.16 mg cm-2), the optimum vulcanization temperature is 280 degrees C, When the sulfur loading >= 2.3 mg cm-2, optimal electrochemical performance at a sulfurization temperature of 220 degrees C.

For a polymer/polymer dismissible blend with two crystallizable components, the crystallization behavior of different components and the reciprocal influences between different crystals are interesting and important, but did not investigate in detail. In this study, the L-poly(lactic acid)/polypropylene (PLLA/PP) blends with different weight ratios were prepared by melt mixing and the crystallization behavior of the blends were investigated. Results showed that the crystalline structures of PLLA and PP were not altered by the composition. For the crystallization of PLLA, both the diffusion of chain segments and crystallization rate were enhanced under the existence of PP crystals. For the crystallization of PP, its crystallization rate was depressed under the existence of amorphous PLLA molecular chains. When the PP crystallized from the existence of PLLA crystals, although the diffusion rate of PP was reduced by PLLA crystals, the nucleation positions were obviously enhanced, which accelerated the formation of PP crystals. This investigation would supply more basic data for the application of PLLA/PP blend.

As a versatile and efficient technology, electrospinning is a powerful method for the fabrication of nanofiber nonwovens and sponges with high porosity, low density, and large specific surface area, which have great potential for numerous applications. In this review, the working mechanisms, preparation, and modification methods, as well as recent progress of nanofiber nonwovens and sponges towards waterproofing, thermal insulation, and electromagnetic (EM) shielding/absorption have been systematically discussed. More prominently, this review provides some insightful perspectives of electrospinning technology toward practical applications covering the range from nanofibers to nanofiber-based sponges. Expectantly, our review will offer important and thoughtful guidance not only for the rational design of nanofiber nonwovens and sponges but also for practical applications in the foreseeable future.

Facile techniques that are time-and cost-saving nowadays are required for preparing PI aerogels with low density, structural stability, high mechanical performance, and thermal stability in wide practical applications. In this work, a strategy of solvothermal imidization followed by vacuum drying, using electrospun short pol-yimide (PI) fiber as supporting skeleton, was reported to prepare high-performance PI aerogels without the implementations of special drying instruments. The mechanism of "self-gluing" of the fiber-constructed skeleton of PI during preparation process was applied to enhance the strength of the precursor gels and achieve structural stability. PI aerogels with hierarchically cellular structure possessed bimodal interconnected pores, tunable densities (From 39.1 mg cm-3 to 55.8 mg cm-3), and high porosity (>96%) are reported. The aerogels showed low energy-loss coefficients for 103 cyclic compressive tests and initial degradation temperature high than 400 and 500 degrees C in air and nitrogen atmosphere, respectively.

A smooth interfacial contact between electrode and electrolyte, alleviation of dendrite formation, low internal resistance, and preparation of thin electrolyte (<20 µm) are the key challenging tasks in the practical application of Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO)‐based solid‐state batteries (SSBs). This paper develops a unique strategy to reduce interfacial resistance by designing an interface‐based core–shell structure via direct integration of Al‐LLZO ceramic nanofibers incorporated poly(vinylidene fluoride)/LiTFSI on the surface of a porous cathode electrode (HPEIC). This yields an ultrathin solid polymer electrolyte with a thickness of 7 µm. The integrated HPEIC/Li SSB with LiFePO4/C exhibits an initial specific capacity of 166 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and 159 mAh g−1 with capacity retention of 100% after 120 cycles at 0.5 C (25 °C). The HPEIC/Li SSB with LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cathode delivers a good discharge capacity of 134 mAh g−1 after 120 cycles at 0.5 C. The rational design of interface‐based core–shell structure outperforms the conventional assembly of solid‐state cells using free‐standing solid electrolytes in specific capacity, internal resistance, and rate performance. The proposed strategy is simple, cost‐effective, robust, and scalable manufacturing, which is essential for the practical applicability of SSBs.

As a common two-dimensional carbon material, graphene has been widely doped into polymers to prepare high-performance dielectric materials. However, the shortcomings of graphene, such as large specific surface area and poor dispersion, limit its further application. Therefore, in this work, to solve the problem regarding the uniform dispersion of graphene in the matrix, in situ polymerization was used to prepare graphene/polyimide films, in which 1,4-diiodobutane was used as a reduction agent to prevent the aggregation of graphene oxide (GO) during imidization. High dielectric constant composite films were obtained by adjusting the ratio of 1,4-diiodobutane in GO. The results show that the resulting graphene/polyimide composite film possessed a dielectric constant of up to 197.5, which was more than 58 times higher than that of the polyimide (PI) film. Furthermore, compared to the pure PI film, the composite films showed better thermal stability and mechanical properties. Thermal performance tests showed that the 1,4-diiodobutane added during the preparation of the composite film was thermally decomposed, and there was no residue. We believe our preparation method can be extended to other high dielectric composite films, which will facilitate their further development and application in high power density energy storage materials.