A Review on Preparation and Applications of Silver-Containing Nanofibers

Silver-containing nanofibers are of great interest recently because of the dual benefits from silver particles and nanofibers. Silver nanoparticles are extensively used for biomedical applications due to the antibacterial and antiviral properties. In addition, silver nanoparticles can excite resonance effect of light trapping when pairing with dielectric materials, such as polymer. Comparing to the traditional fabrics, polymer nanofibers can provide larger number of reaction sites and higher permeability contributed to their high surface-to-volume ratio and high porosity. By embedding the silver nanoparticles into polymer nanofiber matrix, the composite is promising candidates for biomaterials, photovoltaic materials, and catalysts. This work demonstrates and evaluates the methods employed to synthesize silver nanoparticle-containing nanofibers and their potential applications.