New Polymers for Needleless Electrospinning from Low-Toxic Solvents

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Electrospinning is an emerging technology with limited polymer-solvent combinations documented.
• Developing electrospinning processes with low-toxicity solvents like dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is crucial, especially for medical applications.
• There is a need to expand the range of polymers suitable for electrospinning from DMSO.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and present new synthetic polymers applicable for electrospinning from DMSO.
• To investigate the effect of acetone as a co-solvent on the morphology of electrospun nanofibers.
• To analyze the resulting fiber characteristics using advanced microscopy techniques.

Main Methods:

• Screening of various synthetic polymers for electrospinning compatibility with DMSO.
• Preparation of polymer solutions in DMSO with varying concentrations of acetone.
• Characterization of electrospun nanofibers using Helium Ion Microscopy (HIM).

Main Results:

• Identified six polymers (PVOH, PEOZ, PVP, SAN, EVOH, ABS) suitable for electrospinning from DMSO.
• Demonstrated that acetone addition to DMSO influences nanofiber morphology, reducing beads and branches.
• Observed significant variations in fiber diameter depending on the polymer type and acetone content.

Conclusions:

• Successfully expanded the scope of polymers usable for electrospinning with the low-toxicity solvent DMSO.
• Acetone acts as an effective additive to improve the quality and morphology of electrospun nanofibers.
• The findings provide valuable insights for developing novel nanofiber materials for various applications.