Bubble Electrospinning with an Auxiliary Electrode and an Auxiliary Air Flow

Background: The patented bubble electrospinning, which is a simple and effective technique for mass-production of polymer nanofibers, has been studying extensively, but it is still under development. In the bubble electrospinning, multiple jets move from the positive electrode to the receptor, a long distance between the two electrodes is needed to guarantee complete solvent evaporation, as a result a relative high voltage is needed. Objective: The aim of the present study is to use an auxiliary electrode and an auxiliary air flow to improve bubble electrospinning with lower voltage and higher output than those by its traditional one. Methods: The modification of the bubble electrospinning with an auxiliary electrode and an auxiliary airflow is used to fabricate nanofibers. The auxiliary electrode is close to the positive electrode. The experiment was carried out at room temperature with 8%PVA solution. The result was analyzed with a S4800 cold field scanning electron microscope (SEM, Hitachi S-4800, Tokyo, Japan). Results: The auxiliary electrode can generate a strong induced electric field force. With the action of airflow, the jets will fly to the receptor instead of the auxiliary electrode. Conclusion: Both auxiliary electrode and auxiliary airflow are two important factors affecting the spinning process. It can reduce the spinning voltage and improve spinning efficiency.