Ceramic encapsulation with polymer via co-axial electrohydrodynamic jetting

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Controlled synthesis of ceramic nanoparticles is crucial for advanced material applications.
• Electrospinning offers a versatile platform for fabricating core-shell or encapsulated structures.
• Polymethylsilsesquioxane (φο) and alumina (Al2O3) are key materials in polymer and ceramic science, respectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the co-flow electrospinning of polymethylsilsesquioxane and alumina.
• To determine the optimal parameters for producing encapsulated alumina particles.
• To establish a mode selection map for the co-flow electrospinning process.

Main Methods:

• Co-flow electrospinning of a polymer solution (30 wt% polymethylsilsesquioxane in ethanol) and a ceramic suspension (10 wt% alumina in glycerol).
• Systematic variation of media flow rates (10-30 µL/min) and applied voltage (0-11 kV).
• Collection of encapsulated particles in a water bath, followed by characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and element analysis.

Main Results:

• Stable cone-jet mode electrospinning was achieved under specific co-flow conditions.
• Encapsulated polymer-coated alumina particles were successfully produced.
• Particle size ranged from 1 to 38 micrometers, controllable by process parameters.
• SEM and element analysis confirmed successful encapsulation and composition.

Conclusions:

• Co-flow electrospinning is an effective method for fabricating polymer-coated alumina microparticles.
• The process allows for control over particle size and morphology.
• This technique holds potential for creating tailored composite materials.