Polysulfone nanofibers prepared by electrospinning and gas/jet-electrospinning

Polysulfone nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning. The electrospinning equipment was designed in a new way, wherein the spinneret was combined with a gas jet device. The intrinsic viscosity of the used polysulfone was 0.197 dL/g in dimethyl acetamide, which was also the solvent in electrospinning. The gas used in this gas jet/electrostatic spinning was nitrogen. The relationship between the process parameters and the average diameter of polysulfone nanofibers was investigated. The main process parameters studied in this work were the voltage, the flow rate of the spinning fluid, the distance between the spinneret and the nanofiber collector and the temperature in the spinning chamber. The other important factors determining the nanometer diameter were the spinning fluid properties including its viscosity, surface tension and electrical conductivity. The average diameter and the diameter distribution of electrospinning nanofibers were measured experimentally by using scanning electron microscopy. The diameter of polysulfone nanofibers prepared by the gas jet/electrostatic spinning was in the range 50–500 nm. It was found that the diameter of nanofibers mainly depended on high voltage, the gap between the spinneret and the collector and the concentration of polymer solutions. It is concluded that the gas-jet/electrospinning is a better method than the conventional electrospinning, in that it makes the nanofibers finer and more uniform and exhibits higher efficiency in the process of electrospinning. __________ Translated from Acta Polymerica Sinica, 2005, (5) (in Chinese)     

电纺法制备聚合物纳米纤维的研究进展

电纺技术是一种制备聚合物纳米纤维的新方法,它可制备出直径为纳米级的超细纤维,最小直径可至1nm.电纺法制备聚合物纳米纤维具有设备简单、操作容易以及高效等优点,它是目前能直接、连续制备聚合物纳米纤维的有效方法.本文介绍了电纺过程、原理及影响纤维性能的主要因素,综述了电纺技术在生物医学材料,复合增强纤维,无机纳米纤维,导电纳米纤维等方面的应用进展,最后对电纺技术在制备聚合物纳米纤维方面的发展前景作出了展望.     

Flat polymer ribbons and other shapes by electrospinning

In addition to round nanofibers, electrospinning a polymer solution can produce thin fibers with a variety of cross‐sectional shapes. Branched fibers, flat ribbons, ribbons with other shapes, and fibers that were split longitudinally from larger fibers were observed. The transverse dimensions of these asymmetric fibers were typically 1 or 2 μm, measured in the widest direction. A correlation of the branches and bends, observed in high‐frame‐rate videography of the electrified jets of polymer solutions from which the ribbons and branched fibers were produced, suggest that these phenomena occur at scales ranging from around 1 mm to 1 μm. The observation of fibers with these cross‐sectional shapes from a number of different kinds of polymers and solvents indicates that fluid mechanical effects, electrical charge carried with the jet, and evaporation of the solvent all contributed to the formation of the fibers. The influence of a skin on the jets of polymer solutions accounts for a number of the observations. The observed shapes can be used as guides for the extension of mathematical or computer‐generated models for the electrospinning process. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2598–2606, 2001     

Diameter control of electrospun polyacrylonitrile/iron acetylacetonate ultrafine nanofibers

Electrospinning is the process of producing ultrafine fibers by overcoming the surface tension of a polymer solution using high voltage. In this work, the effects of both solution properties (viscosity, conductivity, and surface tension) and operational conditions (voltage, feed rate, and spinneret‐collector distance), on the structure of electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers, were systematically investigated. Iron acetylacetonate was added to the electrospinning solution to control fiber diameter by selectively adjusting solution properties. It was found that, with increased salt concentration, the fiber diameter increases and then passes through a maximum due to changes in solution viscosity, conductivity, and surface tension. In addition, the fiber diameter increases with increase in voltage, feed rate, and spinneret‐collector distance. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1611–1618, 2008     

Influence of solvents on the formation of ultrathin uniform poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) nanofibers with electrospinning

Although there have been many reports on the preparation and applications of various polymer nanofibers with the electrospinning technique, the understanding of synthetic parameters in electrospinning remains limited. In this article, we investigate experimentally the influence of solvents on the morphology of the poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) micro/nanofibers prepared by electrospinning PVP solution in different solvents, including ethanol, dichloromethane (MC) and N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF). Using 4 wt % PVP solutions, the PVP fibers prepared from MC and DMF solvents had a shape like a bead‐on‐a‐string. In contrast, smooth PVP nanofibers were obtained with ethanol as a solvent although the size distribution of the fibers was somewhat broadened. In an effort to prepare PVP nanofibers with small diameters and narrow size distributions, we developed a strategy of using mixed solvents. The experimental results showed that when the ratio of DMF to ethanol was 50:50 (w/w), regular cylindrical PVP nanofibers with a diameter of 20 nm were successfully prepared. The formation of these thinnest nanofibers could be attributed to the combined effects of ethanol and DMF solvents that optimize the solution viscosity and charge density of the polymer jet. In addition, an interesting helical‐shaped fiber was obtained from 20 wt % PVP solution in a 50:50 (w/w) mixed ethanol/DMF solvent. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 3721–3726, 2004     

Double‐layered composite nanofibers and their mechanical performance

Continuous polymer nanofibers are available through electrospinning, but most have the same structure in their cross section. This article focuses on the fabrication and the structural and mechanical characterization of pencil‐like double‐layered composite nanofibers coaxially electrospun from solutions of two different biodegradable materials, i.e., gelatin and poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL). Transmission electron microscopy and water contact angle measurements confirmed that a gelatin inner fiber was wrapped with a PCL outer layer. Possible applications of such nanofibers include a controlled degradation rate when used as a medical device in human body. It has been found that the tensile performance of the composite nanofibers was better than those of both the pure constituent, i.e. gelatin and PCL, nanofibers alone. The ultimate strength and ultimate strain of the composite nanofibers with 7.5% w/v gelatin in the core and 10% w/v PCL as shell were at least 68% and 244% higher, respectively, than those of the same concentration pure gelatin and PCL nanofibers. Thus, a coaxial electrospinning technique as used in this article can be applicable, not only in developing functionalized nanofibers but also in elevating their mechanical property. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2852–2861, 2005     

Diameter control of electrospun chitosan‐collagen fibers

In this article, the effects of fundamental parameters including applied voltage, feed rate of solution, collecting distance of fibers, the ratio of chitosan to collagen in the fibers and polymer solution concentration on the diameter and morphology of electrospun collagen‐chitosan complex nanofibers were studied to produce ultrafine polymer fibers. Based on the systematic parametric study, it is possible to control the diameter and morphology of the electrospun polymer fibers. This will also be helpful for electrospinning of various polymers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 1949–1955, 2009     

Mass preparation of nanofibers by high pressure air‐jet split electrospinning: Effect of electric field

A novel electrospinning method using airflow, namely high pressure air‐jet split electrospinning, was proposed to fabricate polymer nanofibers with ultrahigh production rate. 7 wt % polyacrylonitrile spinning solution with a 0.157 Pa s viscosity was divided into micron size droplets by the filter screen in the front of the nozzle, and then these droplets were divided and split through high pressure airflow, which were drafted into nanofibers directly in the electric field and airflow field. In this study, the electric field distributions with different positive electrodes were simulated and their effect on fiber formation was investigated. The results show that electric field distribution and its intensity depended on electrodes area, a broader electric field distribution with a stronger intensity would bring about a larger cone angle of spraying jet region, at the same time, the contrast in the spray region enhanced. When the whole nozzle was charged, thinner fibers with about 170 nm could be prepared and the fiber production was 75.6 g/h. Compared with the conventional needle electrospinning, the throughput of nanofibers could be improved by thousands of times based on this novel electrospinning method. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 993–1001     

Fabrication of carbon fibers with nanoporous morphologies from electrospun polyacrylonitrile/poly(L‐lactide) blends

Porous carbon nanofibers were prepared through electrospinning a blend solution of polyacrylonitrile and poly(L ‐lactide), followed by carbonization at different temperatures and in different atmospheres. Structural features of these porous carbon nanofibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X‐ray powder diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Surface area and pore structure were evaluated using the nitrogen adsorption technique. It was found that carbon fibers prepared by this scalable and relatively economical method exhibited a porous surface morphology with high specific surface area and large pore volume. The fiber diameter, surface area, pore volume, bulky crystalline structure, and surface crystalline structure of these carbon nanofibers showed a strong dependence on the polymer precursor composition and carbonization condition. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 493–503, 2009     

Atmospheric plasma treatment of pre‐electrospinning polymer solution: A feasible method to improve electrospinnability

The electrospinnability of polyethylene oxide (PEO) was manipulated by atmospheric plasma treatment of pre‐electrospinning solutions. Conductivity, viscosity, and surface tension of PEO solutions increased after plasma treatment, and the plasma effect remained longer when the solution concentrate increased. Both untreated and treated solutions were then electrospun, and the morphology of the resultant nanofibers was observed by SEM. Atmospheric plasma treatment improved the electrospinnability of PEO solutions and led to less beads and finer diameter distribution in the resultant nanofibers. Additionally, plasma treatment of the pre‐electrospinning solutions affected the crystal structure of resultant nanofibers. These results suggest that atmospheric plasma treatment is a feasible approach to improve the electrospinnability of polymer solutions and can used to control the structure of electrospun nanofibers. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

周期性变电场下熔体静电纺丝射流的介观模拟

利用介观模拟的耗散粒子动力学法, 对纺丝射流稳定直线段区域进行变电场模拟, 并以三维的射流路径呈现出来. 研究了不同控制频率下的变电场对聚合物分子链的运动情况、 射流直径及下落行为的影响. 结果表明, 与稳定电场相比, 周期性改变电场能够有效提高分子链的拉伸, 使射流直径减小, 较低的控制频率能够加速射流的下落, 从而获得较细的纤维.     

The preparation and adsorption properties of electrospun aramid nanofibers

The focus of this work is the preparation of aramid nanofibers via electrospinning technology and the study of their adsorption properties. In this article, aramid nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning aramid fibers solution with the addition of lithium chloride (LiCl). It showed a good adsorption capacity when methylene blue (MB) was used as the model target. There were much larger adsorption amounts and faster kinetics of uptaking target species of electrospun aramid nanofibers to MB than that of electrospun polyethersulfone (PES) nanofibers. Compared with activated carbon, aramid nanofibers also have a much faster adsorption rate to MB. Aramid nanofibers were subsequently used to effectively remove endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A (BPA), phenol (Phe), and p‐hydroquinone (BPhe) from their aqueous solutions. Additionally, molecule imprinted technology enhances aramid nanofibers with much higher adsorption amounts and special adsorption property for endocrine disruptors. These results showed that aramid nanofibers have the potential to be used in environmental applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

Fluorescent PMMA/MEH‐PPV electrospun nanofibers: Investigation of morphology,solvent, and surfactant effect

Electrospinning is a powerful technique to produce nanofibers of tunable diameter and morphology for medicine and biotechnological applications. By doping electrospun nanofibers with inorganic and organic compounds, new functionalities can be provided for technological applications. Herein, we report a study on the morphology and optical properties of electrospun nanofibers based on the conjugated polymer poly[2‐methoxy‐5‐(2‐ethylhexyloxy)‐1,4‐phenylenevinylene] (MEH‐PPV) and poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA). Initially, we investigate the influence of the solvent, surfactant, and the polymer concentration on electrospinning of PMMA. After determining the best conditions, 0.1% MEH‐PPV was added to obtain fluorescent nanofibers. The optical characterizations display the successful impregnation of MEH‐PPV into the PMMA fibers without phase separation and the preservation of fluorescent property after fiber electrospinning. The obtained results show the ability of the electrospinning approach to obtain fluorescent PMMA/MEH‐PPV nanofibers with potential for optical devices applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 1388–1394     

Modeling of downstream heating in melt electrospinning of polymers

In this study, both modeling and experimental approaches are used to demonstrate that downstream volumetric heating of electrospun fibers during melt electrospinning can result in markedly decreased fiber diameters. Previous melt electrospinning techniques were limited to production of micron‐sized fibers. This is because high viscosity and low electrical conductivity of the polymer melt coupled with rapid heat loss to the surroundings resulted in solidification of the jet before it had been significantly stretched by the electric field. In our study, we utilize a model for non‐isothermal melt electrospinning in the presence of a volumetric heat source. Our simulation results demonstrate that downstream heating does reduce the fiber diameter, and is therefore a feasible approach for resolving the limitations of melt electrospinning. In addition, our model has also been used to capture the effect of the surrounding temperature, which affects the thinning of the fiber through surface rather than volumetric interactions. Finally, melt electrospinning experiments are utilized to validate the model predictions for downstream heating. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 1393–1405     

静电纺丝法制备MgO纳米纤维

以聚乙烯醇(PVA)作为络合剂与醋酸镁反应制得前驱体，采用静电纺丝法制得聚乙烯醇(PVA)／醋酸镁复合纤维，经焙烧后得到分布均匀、具有较高比表面积和多孔结构的。MgO纳米纤维．对所制得的纳米纤维的结晶度、纯度和表面形貌，分别采用X射线粉末衍射、差热一热重分析(TG-DTA)、红外光谱(IR)、扫描电镜(SEM)等分析测试手段进行了表征．结果表明，煅烧温度对纳米纤维的结晶度和形貌有很大影响．     

静电纺丝法和气流-静电纺丝法制备聚砜纳米纤维

应用电纺法制备了聚砜纳米纤维.设计了一种新型的气流静电纺丝装置,其特点是在喷丝头上添加了喷气组件.电纺过程中所用聚砜的特性粘数为0.97dLg,溶剂为二甲基乙酰胺,载气为氮气.研究了聚砜纳米纤维的平均直径与过程参数之间的关系.研究表明影响聚砜纳米纤维的平均直径的主要因素为电压、纺丝液的流速、喷丝头与收集器之间的距离、操作温度以及纺丝液的性质(如粘度、表面张力和电导率).纳米纤维的平均直径和直径分布用扫描电镜表征.应用这种气流静电纺丝法制备的纳米纤维的直径范围是50～500nm.所得纳米纤维的直径依赖于电压、喷丝头与收集器之间的距离以及喷丝液的浓度.结果表明,采用气流静电纺丝不仅能制备较细而且均匀的纳米纤维,而且产量更高.     

Effect of side‐chain length on the electrospinning of perfluorosulfonic acid ionomers

The effect of the side‐chain length (short side chain and long side chain, SSC and LSC, respectively) of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomers on the properties of nanofibers obtained by electrospinning ionomer dispersions in high dielectric constant liquids has been investigated with a view to obtaining electrospun webs as components of fuel cell membranes. Ranges of experimental conditions for electrospinning LSC and SSC PFSAs have been explored, with a scoping of solvents, carrier polymer and PFSA ionomer concentrations, and carrier polymer molecular weight. Under optimal conditions, the electrospun mats derived from SSC and from LSC PFSA show distinct fiber dimensions that arise from the different chain lengths of the respective ionomers. Enhanced interchain interactions in SSC PFSA with low equivalent weight compared to LSC PFSA result in a considerably lower average fiber diameter and a markedly narrower fiber size distribution. The proton conductivity of nanofiber mats of SSC and LSC PFSA with equivalent weights of 830 and 900 g mol^?1, respectively, are 102 and 58 mS cm^?1 at 80°C and 95% relative humidity. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

Bicomponent aligned nanofibers of N-carboxyethylchitosan and poly(vinyl alcohol)

Bicomponent nanofibers of N-carboxyethylchitosan (CECh) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were obtained by electrospinning of mixed aqueous solutions. The electrospinning of CECh-containing nanofibers was enabled by the ability of PVA to form an elastically deformable entanglement network based on hydrogen bonds. The average diameters of the bicomponent fibers were in the range 100-420 nm. Water-resistant nanofibrous mats were obtained by thermal crosslinking at 100 °C for 10 h. Nanofibrous materials with 1D-, 1D-transversery or 3D fiber alignment were obtained depending on the type of the collector used.     

Electrospinning Process of Thermo-sensitive Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) /poly (2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) Nanofibers

Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)/poly (2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) (PNIPAAm/PAMPS) nanofibers was prepared using the electrospinning technique. The electrospinning process parameters such as solution concentration, voltage, receiver distance and flow rate were determined by the orthogonal experiments. The appropriate electrospinning parameters were 7.0% of solution concentration, 10.0 kV of voltage, 20 cm of distance and 3.1 μL·min^?1 of flow rate, respectively. The major factor affecting the nanofibers diameter was the solution concentration and the diameter increased with the solution concentration. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was conducted to characterize the structure of the components for electrospinning. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was taken to observe the morphology, and the contact angle (CA) measuring was carried out to determine the wettability of the nanofibers with temperatures. The results of SEM observation showed that the surfaces of nanofibers were smooth with uniform fibrous diameters and without the formation of beads. The CA detections showed that the electrospun PNIPAAm/PAMPS nanofibers exhibited thermo-sensitivity of hydrophilicity at 20°C and hydrophobicity at 40°C.     

Controlling electrospun nanofiber morphology and mechanical properties using humidity

Electrospinning is a fiber spinning technique used to produce nanoscale polymeric fibers with superior interconnectivity and specific surface area. The fiber diameter, surface morphology, and mechanical strength are important properties of electrospun fibers that can be tuned for diverse applications. In this study, the authors investigate how the humidity during electrospinning influences these specific properties of the fiber mat. Using two previously uninvestigated polymers, poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) and polysulfone (PSU) dissolved in N,N‐Dimethylformamide (DMF), experimental results show that increasing humidity during spinning causes an increase in fiber diameter and a decrease in mechanical strength. Moreover, surface features such as roughness or pores become evident when electrospinning in an atmosphere with high relative humidity (RH). However, PAN and PSU fibers are affected differently. PAN has a narrower distribution of fiber diameter regardless of the RH, whereas PSU has a wider and more bimodal distribution under high RH. In addition, PSU fibers spun at high humidity exhibit surface pores and higher specific surface area whereas PAN fibers exhibit an increased surface roughness but no visible pores. These fiber morphologies are caused by a complex interaction between the nonsolvent (water), the hygroscopic solvent (DMF), and the polymer. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011