Patterning with Aligned Electrospun Nanofibers by Electrostatic Deflection of Fast Jets

Abstract

Electrospun micro and nanofibers are used in a wide range of applications, but their technological possibilities for printing are incomplete by the limited control over fiber organization and distribution. The use of drum collectors and the inhibition of jet whipping instabilities in near‐field electrospinning (NFES) allow certain degree of control over these parameters. However, fast fibers cannot be directly collected into complex patterns due to the limited degrees of freedom afforded by drum collectors and the relatively slow‐motion control achieved with motorized translation stages used in NFES. Herein, it is demonstrated that electrospun jets of (virtually) any speed can be electrostatically deflected and printed as aligned fibers into a wide variety of structures as fiber tracks characterized by well‐defined width and fiber orientation. The electrostatic deflection of the jet using supplementary electrodes allows a precise control of the track width over a broad range, from submicrometric single nanofiber width to millimeter‐wide tracks. In addition, the fiber alignment, internal structure, and density can be easily adjusted along this fiber track, which opens exciting possibilities toward new applications that require full control on the positioning of fast nanofibers.