Electrospinning Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs) ultrafine fibers; preparations, applications and future perspectives

Abstract

Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs) are increasingly recognized as membrane materials for molecular separation applications due to their unique structural and functional properties. Development of electrospun PIMs further improved the practical use of PIM polymers. PIM nanofibers produced by electrospinning could be an effective membrane material to handle various environmental concerns owing to their high surface area, high hydrophobicity and high adsorption abilities. In addition, highly selective electrospun PIMs could be produced by simple modification methods to obtain specific interactions with desired species. Versatility of electrospun PIMs provides a unique advantage of producing various novel fibrous membranes by electrospinning method for a range of potential applications. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the recent progress of electrospun PIMs, their properties and future directions in various applications.