Focused deposition of electrospun polymer fibers

Abstract

Control possibility of the electrospinning process appears to be one of the most challenging tasks in the manufacturing of fibrous structures. At the same time, its versatility and simplicity make electrospinning one of the most popular nanotechnology method for the production of one-dimensional nanostructures. In this study, focused electrospinning of nylon, polylactic acid-copoly-caprolactone (PLACL), and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) fibers is thoughtfully studied. It has been found that electric field modification by electrostatic lenses, capillary-nozzle tip-to-collector electrode distance, and polymer-solvent composition are the critical parameters to achieve small deposition spots with good fibers quality. Upon optimization, nylon, PLACL, and PVC fibers deposition to fabricate a confined area with less than 4 mm, diameter and fibers stripes with a width of 0.15 mm are achieved. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.