Photo-induced crosslinking for green electrospinning processes

Electrospinning is a fascinating and versatile technique that allows to prepare poly-meric micro- and nanofibers and nonwoven fibrous mats through the application of high electrostatic forces. Herein, we show how the photo-induced crosslinking can be coupled with electrospinning (Figure 1) to develop innovative green processes to fab-ricate polymeric fibrous membranes with enhanced properties and thus improved ap-plicability [1,2]. We demonstrate that by carefully selecting the composition of the electrospinnable system and photo-crosslinking process parameters, it is possible to efficiently and independently control the mat surface area, its porosity, its wettability, and the amount of active functional groups available on the surface of the crosslinked nanofibers. In this way, multifunctional active fibrous nanomaterials and coatings, with antibacterial, superhydrophobic or sensing properties, can be obtained.