Fully-hydrolyzed poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers were successfully electrospun from aqueous solutions of PVA in the presence of acetic acid. A continuous spinning of uniform PVA nanofibers proceeded by the addition of acetic acid due to the changes of electronic conductivity and surface tension of aqueous solution of PVA. When cross-linking agent 1 was added to aqueous solution of PVA and subsequent thermal treatment of as-spun nanofibers, chemically cross-linked PVA nanofibers were achieved to resist disintegration in contact with hot water and the tensile mechanical property of nanofiber non-wovens was greatly improved by the formation of cross-linking points. Magnetite was deposited uniformly onto the hydrophilic surface of cross-linked PVA nanofibers and the resulted nanofibers decorated with magnetite showed a magnetic responsiveness. The deposition of magnetite on the PVA nanofibers can generate self-standing magnetic non-wovens. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.