In this paper, a novel electrostatic-assisted melt blown process was reported to produce polypropylene (PP) microfibers with a diameter as fine as 600 nm. The morphology, web structure, pore size distribution, filtration efficiency, and the stress and strain behavior of the PP nonwoven fabric thus prepared were characterized. By introducing an electrostatic field into the conventional melt-blown apparatus, the average diameter of the melt-blown fibers was reduced from 1.69 to 0.96 μm with the experimental setup, and the distribution of fiber diameters was narrower, which resulted in a filter medium with smaller average pore size and improved filtration efficiency. The polymer microfibers prepared by this electrostatic-assisted melt blown method may be adapted in a continuous melt blown process for the production of filtration media used in air filters, dust masks, and so on.

Solid nanogenerators often have limited charge transfer due to their low contact area. Liquid–liquid nanogenerators can transfer a charge better than the solid–solid and solid–liquid counterparts. However, the precise manipulation of the liquid morphology remains a challenge because of the fluidity limits of the liquid. In this work, using the surface tension of a droplet to fix its shape, a liquid-liquid triboelectric nanogenerator in Contact-Separation mode is designed using an immiscible aqueous-aqueous interface, achieving a contact surface charge transfer of 129 nC for a single droplet. The configuration is proven to be applicable in humid environments, and the two-phase materials have good biocompatibility and can be used as an effective drug carrier. Therefore, this nanogenerator is useful for designing future implantable devices. Meanwhile, this design also establishes the foundation of aqueous electronics, and additional applications can be achieved using this route.

Highly stretchable and electrically conductive thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofibrous composite based on electrospinning for flexible strain sensor and stretchable conductor has been fabricated via in situ polymerization of polyaniline (PANI) on TPU nanofibrous membrane. The PANI/TPU membrane-based sensor could detect a strain from 0 to 160% with fast response and excellent stability. Meanwhile, the TPU composite has good stability and durability. Besides, the composite could be adapted to various non-flat working environments and could maintain opportune conductivity at different operating temperatures. This work provides an easy operating and low-cost method to fabricate highly stretchable and electrically conductive nanofibrous membrane, which could be applied to detect quick and tiny human actions.

To meet the urgent need of society for advanced photocatalytic materials, novel visible light driven heterostructured composite was constructed based on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) and fibrous TiO₂. The g-C₃N₄/TiO₂ (CNT) composite was prepared through electrospinning technology and followed calcination process. The state of the g-C₃N₄ and fibrous TiO₂ was tightly coupled. The photocatalytic performance was measured by degrading the Rhodamine B. Compared to commercial TiO₂ (P25^®) and electrospun TiO₂ nanofibers, the photocatalytic performance of CNT composite was higher than them. The formation of CNT heterostructures and the enlarged specific surface area enhanced the photocatalytic performance, suppressing the recombination rate of photogenerated carriers while broadening the absorption range of light spectrum. Our studies have demonstrated that heterostructured CNT composite with an appropriate proportion can rational use of visible light and can significantly promote the photogenerated charges transferred at the contact interface between g-C₃N₄ and TiO₂.