Electrospun Nanofibers in Drug Delivery: Fabrication, Advances, and Biomedical Applications

Abstract Nanotechnology is an expanding and exciting technology. It has emerged as a vital scientific and commercial engine providing global economic benefits. With expanding knowledge of nanomaterials manufacturing techniques, research groups around the globe are focused more on the preparation of novel nanomaterials for various applications. Among the various techniques reported in the literature, electrospinning has gathered significant momentum due to its ability to fabricate nanostructures with unique properties such as a high surface area and inter/intrafibrous porosity. Electrospinning has been the most widely used technique in the 20th and early 21st centuries. Since its first application in the early 20th century, significant improvements have been made in the design, fabrication, and utility of the nanomaterials. The production of nanofibers via electrospinning is dependent on many operating parameters. This chapter provides an overview of the electrospinning (applied electric field, distance between the needle and collector, as well as flow rate and needle diameter), solution (polymer concentration, viscosity, solvent and solution conductivity), and environmental (relativity humidity and temperature) parameters. All of these parameters are crucial for the application of nanofibers in tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, wound dressings, antibacterial study, filtration, biosensors, and immunoassay.