ABSTRACT
Biomaterials have gained popularity as carriers for drug delivery because they are non-toxic and biocompatible offering economic advantage. The demand for polymeric nanofibers has been increasing day by day in drug delivery. Nanofibers are one-dimensional nanomaterials having the unique ability to form networks of highly porous interconnected mesh, and are an attractive choice for advanced applications. In this chapter, a comprehensive review of the current status and emerging development of various techniques to produce nanofibers is given, especially electrospinning, which is a versatile process to easily produce nanoscale polymeric fibers in the range of diameter 100 nm–5 mm. Although several studies have been done on electrospinning, understanding is still in its infancy. In this chapter, we summarize the fundamentals and recent advances in it. We begin with a brief introduction of the history of electrospinning, followed by its principle, discussion, schematic diagrams of various methods, and the characteristics of nanofibers using each technique. In addition to this, the chapter also highlights its drug delivery in wound healing, diabetic wound healing, and in various treatments of cancer. At the end, we discuss approaches and uses in drug delivery with minimal side effects and its commercialization and implementation in everyday life.
