In this paper a method of electrospinning conducting and nonconducting biphasic Janus nanofibers using microfluidic polydimethylsiloxane ͑PDMS͒-based manifolds is described. Key benefits of using microfluidic devices for nanofiber synthesis include rapid prototyping, ease of fabrication, and the ability to spin multiple Janus fibers in parallel through arrays of individual microchannels. Biphasic Janus nanofibers of polyvinylpyrrolidone ͑PVP͒ + polypyrrole ͑PPy͒/PVP nanofibers with an average diameter of 250 nm were successfully fabricated using elastomeric microfluidic devices. Fiber characterization and confirmation of the Janus morphology was subsequently carried out using a combination of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy.
We present a method for the electrospinning of conducting polymeric composite nanofibers using a poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS)-based microfluidic device. To scale-up the process and spin multicomponent systems, we designed a unique multi-spinnerette electrospinning device using microchannels cast in PDMS. Nanofibers of poly (vinylpyrrolidone) and its composite with polypyrrole were successfully prepared using one-step and two-step microfluidic electrospinning. The effect of processing variables on the morphology of the nanofibers formed using this device was also studied. SEM images showed that fiber diameter and morphology strongly depend on processing parameters such as concentration, applied electric field, feed rate, solvent, and ionic salt addition. FTIR spectroscopy and conductivity measurements reveal the polymerization of pyrrole in the matrix of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone).
Hollow poly (vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) + TiO 2 and polypyrrole (core)/PVP (sheath) nanofibers were successfully electrospun using hydrodynamic fluid focusing. Utilizing a two-dimensional fluid focusing technique previously applied to aqueous solutions, intersecting microchannels cast in (poly)dimethylsiloxane were utilized to dynamically center core fluids in immiscible sheath fluids prior to electrospinning at the channel outlet. Advantages of using microfluidic channel networks for the electrospinning of composite nanofibers include spatiotemporal control over input reagents, ease of fabrication and the ability to focus the core stream into sheath layer without the need of complex co-annular nozzles.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.