Electrospinning Fundamentals: Optimizing Solution and Apparatus Parameters
Electrospinning Fundamentals: Optimizing Solution and Apparatus Parameters
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DOI：
10.3791/2494
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发表时间：
2011-01-01
影响因子：
1.2
通讯作者：
Corey, Joseph M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Leach, Michelle K.;Feng, Zhang-Qi;Corey, Joseph M.
电纺纳米纤维支架在体外可以促进细胞的成熟，促进细胞的生长，指导细胞的迁移。静电纺丝是一种将带电的聚合物射流收集在接地的收集器上的过程；快速旋转的收集器产生排列的纳米纤维，而固定的收集器产生随机取向的纤维垫。当施加的静电电荷克服了溶液的表面张力时，聚合物射流就形成了。对于给定的聚合物，存在一个最小浓度，称为临界纠缠浓度，低于该浓度，不能实现稳定的喷射，也不会形成纳米纤维-尽管可以获得纳米颗粒(电喷雾)。一个稳定的射流有两个区域，一个是流动段，另一个是搅动段。虽然肉眼通常看不到鞭子喷流，但在适当的照明条件下，流动部分通常是可见的。观察气流的长度、厚度、稠度和运动有助于预测正在形成的纳米纤维的排列和形态。短的、不均匀的、不一致的和/或振荡的气流表明存在各种问题，包括纤维排列不良、串珠、飞溅以及花边或波浪图案。可以通过调整溶液的组成和电纺设备的配置来优化流动，从而优化所生产的纤维的取向和形态。在这个协议中，我们介绍了建立一个基本的静电纺丝装置的过程，经验上近似聚合物溶液的临界纠缠浓度，并优化静电纺丝过程。此外，我们还讨论了一些常见的问题和故障排除技巧。
Electrospun nanofiber scaffolds have been shown to accelerate the maturation, improve the growth, and direct the migration of cells in vitro. Electrospinning is a process in which a charged polymer jet is collected on a grounded collector; a rapidly rotating collector results in aligned nanofibers while stationary collectors result in randomly oriented fiber mats. The polymer jet is formed when an applied electrostatic charge overcomes the surface tension of the solution. There is a minimum concentration for a given polymer, termed the critical entanglement concentration, below which a stable jet cannot be achieved and no nanofibers will form - although nanoparticles may be achieved (electrospray). A stable jet has two domains, a streaming segment and a whipping segment. While the whipping jet is usually invisible to the naked eye, the streaming segment is often visible under appropriate lighting conditions. Observing the length, thickness, consistency and movement of the stream is useful to predict the alignment and morphology of the nanofibers being formed. A short, non-uniform, inconsistent, and/or oscillating stream is indicative of a variety of problems, including poor fiber alignment, beading, splattering, and curlicue or wavy patterns. The stream can be optimized by adjusting the composition of the solution and the configuration of the electrospinning apparatus, thus optimizing the alignment and morphology of the fibers being produced. In this protocol, we present a procedure for setting up a basic electrospinning apparatus, empirically approximating the critical entanglement concentration of a polymer solution and optimizing the electrospinning process. In addition, we discuss some common problems and troubleshooting techniques.