Recent Advances in Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes for Dye Filtration: A Focused Mini-Review

Dye-contaminated wastewater from the textile, printing, and chemical industries poses a serious challenge to the environment, and efficient and scalable treatment technologies are urgently needed. Electrospun nanofiber membranes have become a promising solution due to their high specific surface area, adjustable pore structure, and chemical adaptability. This article systematically reviews the research progress of electrospun nanofiber membranes in decolorization based on the filtration mechanism from 2020 to 2025. The membrane materials are mainly divided into three types: polymer-based, composite materials, and surface-grafted. Key separation mechanisms (i.e., size exclusion, electrostatic interaction, ion exchange, and secondary interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking)) are discussed concerning membrane performance. Comparative analysis highlights trends in dye rejection efficiency and permeation flux. Polymer membranes have the advantages of a simple structure and strong environmental protection. Composite membranes are enhanced by introducing metal organic framework materials (MOFs), MXenes, or carbon fillers. Surface-grafted membranes show excellent selectivity and anti-fouling properties. Despite the significant progress, challenges such as durability, reusability, and sustainable large-scale production remain to be overcome. Future research should focus on the development of degradable polymers, optimization of green production processes, and large-scale membrane structure design to provide technical support for the application of nanofiber membranes in industrial wastewater decolorization.