Investigating the influence of temperature on electrospinning of polycaprolactone solutions

Abstract

AbstractThe present work shows the effect of temperature on successfully obtained uniform electrospun poly-(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fibers, with specific attention to the molecular orientation and diameter of nanofibers. Experiments were performed at temperatures (T) of 25°, 35°, and 45°C, and at PCL concentrations (w) of 12, 16, and 20 wt.%. Scanning electron microscopy provided the morphology of electrospun fibers and quantified their diameters. Elevated temperature for all PCL concentrations yielded a viscosity that allows for easier stretching of the jet to obtain a smaller diameter for fibers. A minimum size of the fiber diameter (close to 100 nm) was achieved for the set point T=45°C and w=12 and 16 wt.%. Due to the easy stretching of the jet by controlling the elastic property of the solution, a dichroic ratio of 1.62 was accessible for the set point T=35°C and w=12 wt.% from polarized Fourier transform infrared spectra as a factor for the orientation of PCL chains.