Characterization of Poly(Ethylene Oxide) Nanofibers—Mutual Relations between Mean Diameter of Electrospun Nanofibers and Solution Characteristics

Petr Filip,Petra Peer

doi:10.3390/pr7120948

Abstract

The quality of electrospun poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) nanofibrous mats are subject to a variety of input parameters. In this study, three parameters were chosen: molecular weight of PEO (100, 300, 600, and 1000 kg/mol), PEO concentration (in distilled water), and shear viscosity of PEO solution. Two relations free of any adjustable parameters were derived. The first, describing the initial stage of an electrospinning process expressing shear viscosity using PEO molecular weight and concentration. The second, expressing mean nanofiber diameter using concentration and PEO molecular weight. Based on these simple mathematical relations, it is possible to control the mean nanofiber diameter during an electrospinning process.

Highlights

At present, nanofibrous mats are efficiently used in many applications: filters, tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, antibacterial wound dressing, protective clothing, nanocomposite materials, to name a few
The problem is that some promising materials, such as chitosan, keratin, and other protein-based materials, cannot be electrospun in their pure forms
As in any electrospun material the resulting properties of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) nanofibrous mats are subject to four groups of entry parameters: the polymer, solvent, solution, and process parameters

Summary

Introduction

Nanofibrous mats are efficiently used in many applications: filters, tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, antibacterial wound dressing, protective clothing, nanocomposite materials, to name a few. As in any electrospun material the resulting properties of PEO nanofibrous mats are subject to four groups of entry parameters: the polymer (molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, topology of macromolecules), solvent (surface tension, solubility parameters, relative permittivity), solution (viscosity, concentration, specific conductivity), and process parameters (electric field strength, tip-to-collector distance, temperature, humidity). The standard experiments providing mean nanofiber diameters and shear viscosity dependent on molecular weights and used concentrations of polymeric material are time-consuming, with higher financial costs and cover only discrete values of entry parameters. The proposed relations are compared with the experiments (four various PEO molecular weights), and the mean deviations are practically within the experimental errors

Materials

Rheological Characterization

The Electrospinning Process

Results and Discussion

Dependence

Conclusions