Parametric optimisation of PDMS/PMMA nanofibers prepared using emulsion electrospinning technique

Abstract

With the massive potential for nanofiber applications within the expanding field of functional materials and green energy materials, electrospinning has become an increasingly interesting method of fabrication, generating many different methods to fabricate different nanofiber types. However, due to limitations, either chemical or instrumental, some polymeric nanofibers can only be synthesised using co-axial or emulsion electrospinning methods. To date fabrication of poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)/poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanofibers via electrospinning have been limited to coaxial method. These nanofibers have found use in medical fields as well as environmental remediation efforts as membranes and filters and also in new age wearable electronics. In addition, there have been no systematic studies documented on the parametric optimisation of PDMS/PMMA nanofibers using electrospinning, particularly concerning applied voltage, flow rate, and collector distance. In this work, a PDMS/PMMA co-polymer nanofiber, synthesised through an optimised emulsion electrospinning method, was fabricated and characterised. A systematic examination of electrospinning parameters was conducted and optimised parameters of 18.5 kV supplied voltage, 10 cm tip-collector distance and a flow rate of 0.2 mL/h resulted in the fabrication of nanofibers with an average diameter of ∼199 nm and super-hydrophobicity, with a contact angle of ∼162°, is reported on.