Growth mechanism and phase transformation of ZrO 2 nanofibers fabricated by sol–gel electrospinning

Flexible ceramic nanofibers are used widely in thermal insulation, new energy, filter, and biomedicine. The growth mechanism and phase transformation of ZrO2 are related to the flexibility of nanofibers. The lack of flexible property has limited the high-end applications of ZrO2 nanofibrous membranes. In this work, flexible ZrO2 nanofibers were processed via sol-gel electrospinning and calcination in air at different temperatures. The as-fabricated ZrO2 nanofibers can maintain the excellently flexible property in temperatures ranging from room temperature to 700 °C. These favorable characteristics make the ZrO2 nanofibers a promising choice for new energy, filter, and other thermal insulation fields.