CAREER: Understanding Molecular Interactions and Processability for the Design and Manufacture of Ultrafine Electrospun Polymer Fibers

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This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant focuses on developing a science-based link between the processing of ultrafine polymer fibers and the chemistry of the materials used to make them. While progress has been made in customizing the shape of material goods through advanced manufacturing processes, customizing the properties of the materials is still a slow development process. A major factor slowing materials customization is understanding the interactions between components in the complex mixtures used to make functional products and, especially, how those interactions impact processability. This research project uses experiment and modeling to tie the chemistry of polymer mixtures to the manufacturing of ultrafine fibers via electrospinning, leading to agile manufacturing of polymer products. The research work enables the rapid design of materials for manufacturability, which can expand the applications to high value products such as electronics, sensors and consumer goods, thus augmenting U.S. economy and prosperity. Integration of chemistry and processing involves a merging of two disparate fields and provides an opportunity for training through interdisciplinary research, education and outreach. Through this CAREER grant, graduate students are trained in project management to improve their ability to coordinate complex, interdisciplinary research tasks. In addition, outreach through the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking broadens participation by showing school groups and visitors how research enables development of processable formulations and scalable manufacturing.The specific goal of this research is to develop a link between solution chemistry and ultrafine polymer fiber manufacturability via electrospinning. Attractive molecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonding and electrostatic forces, can stabilize the solution during electrospinning and prevent breakup of the jet into droplets, similar to polymer chain entanglements. This research focuses on understanding how the type and strength of these interactions impact the formation of smooth fibers and their diameter, aiming to determine how the interactions affect the shear and extensional rheological properties and tying those to the fiber production window. Complementing the experimental work is the development of electrohydrodynamic models to account for the attractive interactions and understand the underlying physics. These efforts provide fundamental insights into how molecular interactions impact the manufacturing of ultrafine fibers. This research enables processing of low molecular weight polymers and non-polymeric materials, such as conducting polymers and pharmaceuticals, that are currently unable to be spun due to a absence of polymer chain entanglements. This project provides the foundation to rapidly customize ultrafine fiber products such as sensors, wearable electronics, and drug delivery systems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.