Electrospun nanofibers for drug delivery systems (DDS) introduce a revolutionary means of administering pharmaceuticals, holding promise for both improved drug efficacy and reduced side effects. These biopolymer nanofiber membranes, distinguished by their high surface area-to-volume ratio, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, are ideally suited for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. One of their standout attributes is the capability to offer the controlled release of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), allowing custom-tailored release profiles to address specific diseases and administration routes. Moreover, stimuli-responsive electrospun DDS can adapt to conditions at the drug target, enhancing the precision and selectivity of drug delivery. Such localized API delivery paves the way for superior therapeutic efficiency while diminishing the risk of side effects and systemic toxicity. Electrospun nanofibers can foster better patient compliance and enhanced clinical outcomes by amplifying the therapeutic efficiency of routinely prescribed medications. This review delves into the design principles and techniques central to achieving controlled API release using electrospun membranes. The advanced drug release mechanisms of electrospun DDS highlighted in this review illustrate their versatility and potential to improve the efficacy of medical treatments.

In an epoch dominated by escalating concerns over climate change and looming energy crises, the imperative to design highly efficient catalysts that can facilitate the sequestration and transformation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into beneficial chemicals is paramount. This research presents the successful synthesis of nanofiber catalysts, incorporating monometallic nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) and their bimetallic blend, NiCo, via a facile electrospinning technique, with precise control over the Ni/Co molar ratios. Application of an array of advanced analytical methods, including SEM, TGA–DSC, FTIR-ATR, XRD, Raman, XRF, and ICP-MS, validated the effective integration and homogeneous distribution of active Ni/Co catalysts within the nanofibers. The catalytic performance of these mono- and bimetallic Ni/Co nanofiber catalysts was systematically examined under ambient pressure conditions for CO₂ hydrogenation reactions. The bimetallic NiCo nanofiber catalysts, specifically with a Ni/Co molar ratio of 1:2, and thermally treated at 1050 °C, demonstrated a high CO selectivity (98.5%) and a marked increase in CO₂ conversion rate—up to 16.7 times that of monometallic Ni nanofiber catalyst and 10.8 times that of the monometallic Co nanofiber catalyst. This significant enhancement in catalytic performance is attributed to the improved accessibility of active sites, minimized particle size, and the strong Ni–Co–C interactions within these nanofiber structures. These nanofiber catalysts offer a unique model system that illuminates the fundamental aspects of supported catalysis and accentuates its crucial role in addressing pressing environmental challenges.

For this work, we investigated the promotor effect (M = Na⁺, K⁺, Ce³⁺, Zn²⁺, Mn²⁺) on carbon nanosphere-encapsulated bimetallic Fe-Co core–shell catalysts for CO₂ hydrogenation, promising selectivity for converting CO₂ to light olefins. The fresh and spent catalysts were characterized using a combination of experimental techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (TGA–DSC), and Raman spectroscopy, and our results reveal that the addition of the promotor M enhanced the formation of graphitic carbon and metal carbides in the promoted catalysts when compared with the unpromoted catalysts. The metal carbides were determined to be the active sites for the production of light olefins.