With the development of modern economy and industry, the environment problems are becoming increasingly serious. So the requirements of the novel adsorption/separation materials have become urgent. Electrospinning (ES) is a facile and effective technique to prepare continuous nanofibers and has a wide application prospect. Because the electrospun nanofibrous mat possesses the features of large surface area, controllable microstructure and chemical property, the ES technology is considered as a potential method to prepare novel adsorption/separation materials. This article has summarized the recent researches on fabricating and modifying the electrospun fibrous mat and illustrated its applications in air filtration, oil-water separation and heavy metal ion adsorption. The research prospects and directions of this rapidly developing field are also briefly proposed.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Preparation and modification of electrospun mats
2.1 Microstructure control of electrospun mat
2.2 Preparation of multi-component electrospun fibers
2.3 Surface modification of electrospun mats
3 Applications of electrospun mats as adsorption/separation materials
3.1 Air filtration
3.2 Oil-water separation
3.3 Heavy metal ion adsorption
4 Conclusion and outlook