One‐step fabrication of branched poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers by magnetic coaxial electrospinning

Abstract

Abstract Branching has been emerging in 3‐D interconnecting building blocks. Branched and hyperbranched poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers were fabricated by coaxially electrospinning two‐liquids under an alternating magnetic field in a facile manner. Both the PVA nanofiber trunks with diameter of 100–200 nm and the PVA nanofiber branches with diameter of 10–30 nm were formed in a single step. The length and the morphology of the branched PVA nanofibers could be controlled through a rational design of the magnetic field. The facile technique may readily be extended to prepare 3‐D branched nanofibers from other materials such as various polymers and polymer–ceramic materials. Moreover, the multifunctional and multicomponent materials with branched nanostructure could be expected by using the magnetic coaxial electrospinning technique. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012