Electrospinning

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Electrospining

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn6r1Ag1npE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87uRQ7KwbB0 2
Fiber morphology/structure

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Benefits of electrospun non-wovens

• Low density of nanofibers

• Large specific surface area of nanofibers
• Small pore size
• High porosity – good breathability
• Excellent mechanical properties in
proportion to weight
• Possibility to incorporate different additives

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Fiber diameter distribution

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Electrospinning vs. electrospraying?

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Electrospinning solution

• Electrospinning solutions are typically

made by dissolving a polymer in a solvent
such as TFA, DMF, DMAc etc..

Polymer Solvent Polymer solution

(solids) (liquid) (liquid)

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Taylor cone formation
Taylor cone formation stage with increasing electric field

The application of high voltage to the polymer solution held by its surface tension
creates a charge on the surface of the liquid.

Reciprocated charge repulsion and the contraction of the surface charges to the
counter electrode causes a force directly opposite to the surface tension.

As the intensity of the electric field is increased, the hemispherical drop formed at
tip of the needle tip gets converted into conical shape. 9
Principle

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Electrospinning parameters

• Solution concentration and viscosity

• Tip-to-collector distance
• Flow rate
• Applied Voltage
• Collector shape
• Ambient humidity and temperature
• Molecular weight

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Influence of process parameters

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Fiber diameter vs. voltage

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Collector types – Aligned fibers

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Drum collector

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Needleless electrospinning

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Co-axial spinning

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Melt-electrospinning

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Needle types

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Emulsion electrospinning

Biomacromolecules. 2013, 14(11):3801-7

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Core-shell fibres via Emulsion espng

Biomacromolecules. 2013, 14(11):3801-7

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Applications

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 Electrospun fibers of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH)
copolymer with the presence of silver nanoparticles
(AgNPs).

(a) Porous poly-L-lactide electrospun fibers. (b) Uniaxially aligned TiO2 hollow
nanofibers. These fibers have been intentionally fractured using a razor blade to expose
their cross-sections. Inset: high magnification micrograph of the same sample.
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Applications

Wound dressing

Desalination

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Vascular grafts

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Design principles
• The inner PLA/PCL layer is favorable
adhesion of human umbilical vein endothelial
cells that could accelerate endothelialization.

• The middle PU/PCL layer provides superior

mechanical properties

• The outer PLA/PCL layer with circumferential

aligned fibers is beneficial for guiding vascular
smooth muscle cells in circumferential
oriented direction 26
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