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Molecular Orientation in Electrospun Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Fibers
Xiaoqian Ma1, Jinglin Liu1, Chaoying Ni1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States.
Abstract:
Electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofibers were collected on aluminum foil across a 10 mm gap. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that fibers in the gap were macroscopically aligned and those off the gap were macroscopically randomly aligned. Polarized Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and single fiber selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns demonstrated that fibers deposited in the gap were highly aligned at the molecular level with the polymer backbones oriented along the fiber axis. SAED patterns of fibers deposited off the gap were also oriented at the molecular level, but the degree of orientation was lower.
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