Abstract: Provided herein is a fiber having a fiber body including fiber body material with a longitudinal-axis fiber body length. A plurality of gel domains is disposed within the fiber body along at least a portion of the longitudinal-axis fiber body length. Each gel domain includes a porous host matrix material and a liquid gel component that is entrapped in the molecular structure of the host matrix material and that is disposed in interstices of the host material matrix. At least two of the gel domains within the fiber body are disposed directly adjacent to each other in direct physical contact with each other. This fiber can include polymeric fiber body material and gel domains including a porous polymer host matrix material and an ionically conducting liquid solvent that is entrapped in the molecular structure of the polymer host matrix material and disposed in interstices of the polymer host material matrix.

Abstract: There is provided a fiber that includes a fiber material disposed along a longitudinal-axis fiber length. A porous domain has a porous domain length along at least a portion of the fiber length, within the fiber material. The porous domain includes solid-phase material regions and fluid-phase interstitial regions that are both along the porous domain length and across the porous domain, for multi-dimensional porosity of the porous domain.

Abstract: Provided herein is a fiber having a fiber body including fiber body material with a longitudinal-axis fiber body length. A plurality of gel domains is disposed within the fiber body along at least a portion of the longitudinal-axis fiber body length. Each gel domain includes a porous host matrix material and a liquid gel component that is entrapped in the molecular structure of the host matrix material and that is disposed in interstices of the host material matrix. At least two of the gel domains within the fiber body are disposed directly adjacent to each other in direct physical contact with each other. This fiber can include polymeric fiber body material and gel domains including a porous polymer host matrix material and an ionically conducting liquid solvent that is entrapped in the molecular structure of the polymer host matrix material and disposed in interstices of the polymer host material matrix.

Abstract: A fiber is provided that has been thermally drawn from a fiber preform, having a longitudinal-axis length and including at least one core that has a longitudinal core axis parallel to the longitudinal axis and internally disposed to at least one outer fiber cladding material layer along the fiber length. The fiber is fed through a localized heating site having a heating site temperature, T, that is above a melting temperature of the fiber core, with a feed speed, ?f, that melts a portion of the fiber core at the heating site, causing molten droplets to pinch off of fiber core material, one droplet at a time, with a time period of molten droplet formation set by the fiber feed speed, ?f. The fiber is fed through the localized heating site to move the molten droplets out of the heating site and solidify the molten droplets into solid in-fiber particles.

Abstract: Herein is provided a fiber that includes a cladding material disposed along a longitudinal-axis fiber length and a plurality of discrete and disconnected high-stress domains that are disposed as a sequence along a longitudinal line parallel to the longitudinal fiber axis in at least a portion of the fiber length. Each high stress domain has an internal pressure of at least 0.1 GPa and comprises a material that is interior to and different than the fiber cladding material.

Abstract: There is provided a fiber that includes a fiber material disposed along a longitudinal-axis fiber length. A porous domain has a porous domain length along at least a portion of the fiber length, within the fiber material. The porous domain includes solid-phase material regions and fluid-phase interstitial regions that are both along the porous domain length and across the porous domain, for multi-dimensional porosity of the porous domain.

Abstract: A fiber is provided that has been thermally drawn from a fiber preform, having a longitudinal-axis length and including at least one core that has a longitudinal core axis parallel to the longitudinal axis and internally disposed to at least one outer fiber cladding material layer along the fiber length. The fiber is fed through a localized heating site having a heating site temperature, T, that is above a melting temperature of the fiber core, with a feed speed, ?f, that melts a portion of the fiber core at the heating site, causing molten droplets to pinch off of fiber core material, one droplet at a time, with a time period of molten droplet formation set by the fiber feed speed, ?f. The fiber is fed through the localized heating site to move the molten droplets out of the heating site and solidify the molten droplets into solid in-fiber particles.

Abstract: Herein is provided a fiber that includes a cladding material disposed along a longitudinal-axis fiber length and a plurality of discrete and disconnected high-stress domains that are disposed as a sequence along a longitudinal line parallel to the longitudinal fiber axis in at least a portion of the fiber length. Each high stress domain has an internal pressure of at least 0.1 GPa and comprises a material that is interior to and different than the fiber cladding material.