A biomimetic “cactus spine” with hierarchical groove structure is designed and fabricated using simple electrospinning. This novel artificial cactus spine possesses excellent fog collection and water transportation ability. A model cactus equipped with artificial spines also shows a great water storage capacity. The results can be helpful in the development of water collectors and may make a contribution to the world water crisis.

The impedance mismatch of carbon materials is a key factor limiting their widespread use in electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption. In this work, the novel CeO₂/nitrogen-doped carbon (CeO₂/N-C) nanofiber was prepared to solve the problem by electrospinning and sintering. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses demonstrated CeO₂ was successfully loaded onto the surface of partially graphitized carbon fibers. Different sintering temperatures change the graphitization degree of material, and the oxygen vacancy structure of CeO₂ and defects from N doping optimize the impedance matching of the material. When the sintering temperature reaches 950 °C, CeO₂/N-C fiber possesses the minimum reflection loss (RL_min) value of −42.59 dB at 2.5 mm with a filler loading of only 3 wt.% in polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF). Meanwhile, the CeO₂/N-C fiber achieves a surprising wideband (8.48 GHz) at a thickness of 2.5 mm, covering the whole Ku-band as well as 63% of the X-band at the sintering temperature of 650 °C. This work provides the research basis for widely commercial applications of carbon-based nanofiber absorbers.

Superhydrophobic surface with high solid/liquid adhesion is of great fundamental and technological importance. However, the fabrication of adhesive superhydrophobic polymer surfaces with high stability is rare, which limits the utilization of such surfaces in harsh environments. This paper illustrates a simple electrospinning way to produce fluorinated polyimide nanofibric mat with adhesive superhydrophobicity as well as high thermal stability. The water contact angle on the mat reaches as high as 157.8° and the adhesive force to a water drop is up to 98.3 μN. Moreover, the adhesive superhydrophobic polyimide mat is able to stand extreme heat up to 300 °C. By virtue of the facile electrospinning technique, large-area flexible mats can be easily achieved. Such an electrospun fluorinated polyimide mat will possess broader applications than ordinary organic superhydrophobic surfaces owing to its excellent stability in harsh environments.

Paraffin deposition is a severe global problem during crude oil production and transportation. To inhibit the formation of paraffin deposits, the commonly used methods are mechanical cleaning, coating the pipe to provide a smooth surface and reduce paraffin adhesion, electric heating, ultrasonic and microbial treatments, the use of paraffin inhibitors, etc. Pipeline coatings not only have the advantages of simple preparation and broad applications, but also maintain a long-term efficient and stable effect. In recent years, important progress has been made in research on pipe coatings for mitigating and preventing paraffin deposition. Several novel superhydrophilic organogel coatings with low surface energy were successfully prepared by bionic design. This paper reviews different types of coatings for inhibiting wax deposition in the petroleum industry. The research prospects and directions of this rapidly developing field are also briefly discussed.

With the rapid development of wireless communication technology and electronic devices, the issue of electromagnetic interference (EMI) is becoming increasingly severe. Developing a new and flexible electromagnetic interference shielding material has become a challenging task. Here, a sandwich-structured EMI shielding composite film was prepared using electrospinning and vacuum filtration methods. In this process, a porous MXene was synthesized through a reaction with cobalt acetate and served as the intermediate layer in the composite film to shield electromagnetic waves. The electrospun polyimide (PI) fibers were used as the top and bottom layers of the composite film, which can protect the porous MXene from oxidation. This lightweight and flexible composite film integrates electromagnetic interference shielding and thermal insulation capabilities, showing excellent comprehensive performance. The composite film achieves an EMI shielding effectiveness of 48.8 dB in X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz), and absolute shielding effectiveness of the composite film reached a satisfying 4142.43 (dB·cm²)/g. Owing to the design of a multi-layer porous structure, the density of the composite film is 0.65 g/cm³. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity of the film is 0.042 W/(m·K) due to the clamping of electrospun PI fibers, showing excellent thermal insulation performance. Additionally, the composite film exhibits excellent high and low-temperature resistance. In summary, this work provides a feasible strategy for preparing a lightweight polymer-based EMI shielding film.