Table 1.

Comparison of methods for fabricating polymer nanofiber scaffolds.

	Advantages	Disadvantages
Electrospinning	• Easy to setup	• Poor cell infiltration into the core of the scaffolds
	• Cost effective	• 2-Dimensional pore or microstructure arrangement
	• High level of versatility allows control over fiber diameter, microstructure and arrangement	• Toxic solvents often used
	• Vast materials selection
Self Assembly	• Easy incorporation of cells during fiber formation	• Complex procedure
	• 3-Dimensional pore arrangement	• Lack of control of fiber orientation and arrangement
	• Injectable for in vivo assembly	• Limited fiber diameter ~2–30 nm and length ~10 µm
Phase Separation	• 3-Dimensional pore arrangement	• Complex procedures
		• Lack of control of fiber arrangement
Bacterial Cellulose	• Low cost	• Limited material selection
	• High yield	• Lack of versatility for functionalization
Templating	• Vast materials selection	• Sacrificial materials
	• Control over fiber diameter and length	• Limitation on fiber dimensions and arrangement
Drawing	• Vast materials selection	• Low productivity (One single fiber at a time)
	• Simple procedure	• Difficult to form fibers with consistent diameter
Extraction	• Natural materials	• Limited material selection
		• Limited control of fiber diameter and length (a few microns)
Vapor-Phase Polymerization	• Polymer synthesized directly into nanofibers	• Limited control of fiber diameter and length (hundreds of microns)
		• Limited material selection
		• Complicated procedures
Kinetically controlled solution synthesis	• Polymers synthesized directly into nanofibers	• Limited control of fiber diameter and length (60 µm)
		• Limited material selection
		• Complicated procedures
Chemical Polymerization of Aniline	• Polymers synthesized directly into nanofibers	• Limited control of fiber diameter and length
		• Limited material selection
		• Complicated procedures