Preparation of poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) nanofibers by electrospinning from isotropic and biphasic liquid crystal solutions

Abstract

Liquid crystal polymer (LCP) nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning from isotropic and biphasic poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) (PBLG)/dichloromethane-pyridine solutions. The as-spun PBLG fiber from the isotropic solutions had an undulating orientation of closed packed α-helices like a serpentine trajectory. The as-spun fibers from the biphasic solutions containing the LC phase, on the other hand, had uniaxially oriented hexagonal lattices of α-helices along the fiber axis. These results indicated that the orientation of the ordered structure of the electrospun lyotropic LCP fibers can be controlled by the initial microstructure of the spinning solution.