Supramolecular Route for Enhancing Polymer Electrospinnability.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Electrospinning typically demands high polymer concentrations for sufficient viscoelasticity.
• Achieving desired fiber properties often requires concentrations that are difficult to attain or process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel supramolecular strategy for reducing polymer concentration in electrospinning solutions.
• To investigate the use of polymer/surfactant complexes to enhance solution properties for fiber formation.

Main Methods:

• Supramolecular complexation of poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) with dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) via ionic interactions.
• Characterization of solution viscosity and electrospinning behavior of P4VP/DBSA complexes.
• Analysis of resulting nanofibers using small-angle X-ray scattering and polarized optical microscopy.

Main Results:

• P4VP/DBSA complexation significantly increased solution viscosity, even at low DBSA/4VP molar ratios.
• The critical concentration for electrospinning uniform nanofibers was reduced from ~35% (w/v) for neat P4VP to 12% (w/v) for P4VP/DBSA complexes.
• Electrospun nanofibers exhibited self-assembled lamellar mesomorphic structures with improved order.

Conclusions:

• Supramolecular complexation with surfactants offers an effective method to lower polymer concentrations for electrospinning.
• The P4VP/DBSA system demonstrates the potential for producing well-ordered nanostructures via electrospinning at reduced concentrations.
• This approach facilitates the fabrication of advanced polymer nanomaterials with enhanced properties.