Recent advances in carbon nanofibers and their applications – A review

The field of carbon nanofibers has been growing in terms of technological development and seeking attention because of their dominant chemical properties, mechanical strength, and electrical conductivity. Catalytic and electrospinning techniques are currently the conventional methods for fabrication of carbon nanofibers in a two-step process that includes stabilization and carbonization of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers, respectively. Recently, the industrial and medical sectors dealing with nanofibrous materials are not having ample options but to accept the use of already approved materials which are quite expensive and lack the flexibility in manipulating their surface and chemical properties for specific applications. To overcome these limitations, carbon nanofibers are being validated for their multifunctional role in various forms. This article reviews the recent advancements in the fabrication of carbon nanofibers and additionally pointing out their significance for applications in the industrial and biomedical sector for their potential role in the future. In this article, we explicitly focus on the recent breakthroughs in the field of carbon nanofibers, especially in the area of their commercial applications. Our goal is to depict ways for enhancing the chemical and structural properties of these nanofibers and providing beneficiary, low-cost alternatives to the currently available materials in the medical field as well as the industrial area.