Chromic Electrospun Polymer Nanofibers: Preparation, Applications, and the Future

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Stimuli-induced chromic materials enable analyte detection without specialized equipment.
• Chromic polymers are fabricated by incorporating responsive chromophores into polymers.
• Electrospun nanofibers offer enhanced stimuli-responsivity due to their high surface-to-volume ratio.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in stimuli-induced chromic electrospun nanofibers.
• To categorize these nanofibers based on their response to various stimuli.
• To discuss preparation methods, mechanisms, and applications.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning technique for fabricating chromic nanofibers.
• Incorporation of responsive chromophores into polymer matrices.
• Classification of nanofibers by stimuli: photochromic, thermochromic, electrochromic, mechanochromic, halochromic, solvatochromic, hydrochromic, and ionochromic.

Main Results:

• Chromic nanofibers exhibit diverse stimuli-responsivity.
• Key applications include sensors for food packaging and health monitoring, anticounterfeiting, and smart clothing.
• Discussion covers preparation, mechanisms, and current applications.

Conclusions:

• Chromic electrospun nanofibers are promising for advanced applications.
• Future research should focus on multiresponsive and multifunctional nanofibers.
• Potential applications include multimode anticounterfeiting and dual-mode data encryption.