Smart Electrospun Nanofibers for Controlled Oil‐Water Separation

ABSTRACT The use of smart polymer materials is rapidly expanding and has gradually become an essential need. This is particularly evident in separation applications, where smart separation is not only crucial and cost‐effective but also offers high efficiency and performance. On the other hand, using fibrous membranes for separation has been widely recommended and is gaining increasing attention. The smart electrospun nanofibers, with a simple fabrication method, have a high surface‐to‐volume ratio and a large contact area, therefore provide a controlled contact area for the effective impact of stimuli. Numerous studies have been conducted on the use of smart polymer nanofibers, particularly for water and oil separation. This review mainly introduces stimuli‐responsive electrospun polymer nanofibers for smart oil/water separation applications. Moreover, fundamental theories, separation mechanisms, and different stimuli, such as pH, gas, temperature, and light, that could be utilized to achieve intelligent oil/water separation are discussed. It is tried to provide a comprehensive guide for the development of smart polymeric surfaces for efficient oil/water filtration applications.