Production of Uniaxially Aligned Nanofibers Using a Modified Electrospinning Method: Rotating Jet

Abstract

In this paper a novel and effective method of manufacturing aligned fibers with nano-scale diameters based on electrospinning is described. The conventional procedure of electrospinning has been modified to generate nanofibers as uniaxially aligned array for specific applications. In comparison with typical method, the electrospinning is performed into the hollow metallic cylinder as a collector so that the needle is located in center of the cylinder. The jet coming out of the needle rotates and spun nanofibers assemble in the inner surface of the cylinder. Fibers produced by this method are well-aligned and can be spread over a large area. The influences of the applied voltage and collector diameter on alignment of nanofibers were investigated using image analysis techniques. In addition, Optimum conditions to maximize fibers alignment were obtained.