Nanofibrillated polymer systems: Design, application, and current state of the art

The application of fibrous materials can be traced back throughout human history. Widespread adoption of polymers in the 20th century has rapidly driven the development of processes for producing polymer fibers to satisfy the demands of industries and consumers. The rise of nanomaterials has opened new worlds of possibility in terms of material properties and functionality, and polymer nanofibers are no exception. Their unique combination of viscoelastic behavior and incredibly high specific surface area have created applications for polymer nanofibers in areas such as biomedical engineering, smart materials, and energy storage, all of which project to be crucial research sectors in the next few decades. Polymer nanofibers have an important role to play in the technology that will shape our future. This manuscript provides a comprehensive review of the conventional methods used for manufacturing polymer nanofibers, the properties and behavior of polymer nanofibers and nanofiber composites, and the diverse applications of polymer nanofiber systems.