Ceramic nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning and their applications in catalysis, environmental science, and energy technology

This paper provides a brief review of current research activities that focus on the fabrication of ceramic nanofibers by electrospinning, as well as their applications in various areas. We begin with a brief introduction to electrospinning in the context of ceramic nanofibers, and the methods for preparing aligned and/or hollow nanofibers. We then discuss approaches to the fabrication of nanofibers with a hierarchical structure. We continue with a highlight of some recent applications enabled by electrospun ceramic nanofibers, with a focus on three areas: catalysis, environmental science, and energy technology, which are expected to become the most important and exciting subjects of research in this century. In the end, we conclude this review with some perspectives on the future directions and implications for this new class of functional nanomaterials. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.