Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 25, 2026
08:26
Spray-Coated Melanin/PEDOT:PSS Films for Sustainable Organic Electrochemical Transistors
Published on: October 28, 2025
868
Microstructure Control of Polymer Films via Air-Assisted Electrospray for Binderless Electrodes
Kenneth Gordon1, Nduka Ogbonna2, Griffin Usie1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana 70504, United States.
ACS Applied Polymer Materials
|April 24, 2026
Summary
Air-assisted electrospray offers a cost-effective, scalable method for producing diverse thin polymer films. This technique enables precise control over morphology and shows promise for applications like binderless battery electrodes.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Growing demand for advanced thin polymer films in coatings, photovoltaics, and optoelectronics.
- Need for cost-effective, high-throughput manufacturing with controllable film properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present and investigate the air-assisted electrospray method for thin film coating.
- To explore its versatility in producing diverse surface morphologies and its compatibility with 3D substrates.
- To gain fundamental understanding of the process and its control parameters.
Main Methods:
- Systematic investigation of air-assisted electrospray by varying concentration, needle configuration, and polymer type.
- Analysis of coating morphology and reproducibility.
- Evaluation of the impact of airflow position on film properties.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated ability to produce diverse coating morphologies with excellent reproducibility.
- Air assistance significantly expands achievable morphologies, especially at lower concentrations.
- Identified critical role of airflow position in determining polymer film properties.
Conclusions:
- Air-assisted electrospray is a simple, scalable, and cost-effective method for fabricating thin polymer films.
- The process allows for precise control over film morphology and properties.
- Potential applications include binderless electrodes for sodium-ion batteries.
