Electrospun Nanofibers as Effective Superhydrophobic Surfaces: A Brief review

Superhydrophobic surfaces have always engrossed the attention of researchers due to the uniqueness in their surface architecture and the associated multifaceted applications. Many materials and fabrication techniques have been reported recently to specifically design and enhance the hydrophobicity of surfaces. Electrospinning technique is one such novel preparation technique used to fabricate superhydrophobic structures. This review presents a brief introduction on electrospinning, superhydrophobic surfaces and their characterization techniques. Moreover, the review emphasizes on how a versatile technology like electrospinning can be used in conjunction with nanotechnology to create tailor made nano fibrillar superhydrophobic surfaces. These nanofibers find utility in the field of fabrics, air permeability, membrane distillation, drug delivery, oil water separation, catalysis, packaging and sensors. This review also brings light into the already prevalent as well as prospective applications of electrospun superhydrophobic surfaces.