ABSTRACT
Fibers are present in nature for millennia and are common materials in our dayto-day lives. The spider web is one typical example, showing in the simplicity of its very light 1D geometry its high degree of multifunctionality. It is designed to catch insects but also possesses extraordinary exibility and toughness allowing it to resist to wind and storms: the strength/mass ratio of such 1D materials exceeds that of steel.1,2 In order to solve complex human and technological problems, science has often mimicked the models and the systems existing in nature. In the last years nanomaterials (i.e., structures with at least one dimension in the range of 1-100 nm) have attracted a dramatically growing scientic interest due to their unique properties compared to their bulk counterparts (superparamagnetism, quantum effect, electronic effects).3 In particular, 1D nanomaterials including bers, rods, tubes,
1.1 Nanobers in Science and Technology .............................................................1 1.2 Principle and Theory of Electrospinning .........................................................5 1.3 Origin of Electrospinning .................................................................................6 1.4 Beyond the Electrospinning of Polymers .........................................................7 1.5 Architectures of Electrospun Fibers .................................................................9
