Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/198507

Title

Thermo-responsive core-sheath electrospun nanofibers from poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)/polycaprolactone blends

Author(s)

Chen, Menglin;  Dong, Mingdong;  Havelund, Rasmus;  Regina, Viduthalai R.;  Meyer, Rikke L.;  Besenbacher, Flemming;  Kingshott, Peter

Abstract

Core-sheath nanofibers with biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) as the core and thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) as the sheath were prepared by single-spinneret electrospinning of blends of the two polymers. The morphology of the composite fibers with different proportions of PNIPAAm to PCL was determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Surface enrichment of PNIPAAm was confirmed by both x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) quantification and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) imaging. It was found that the phase separation was driven by both thermostatic/kinetic factors and electric-field-orientation effects. The combination of appropriate choice of miscible solvents with large parameter differences (solubility of the two polymers, dielectric constant, and evaporation speed during jet traveling) and difference in molecular weight/viscosity of the two polymers contributed to the core-sheath self-assembly. The thermo-responsive wettabilites of the PNIPAAm dominant fibrous surfaces were demonstrated using contact angle (CA) measurements and a microcontact printing (μCP) method.

Publication type

Journal article

Source

Chemistry of Materials, Vol. 22, no. 14 (Jul 2010), pp. 4214-4221

Publication year

2010

FOR Code(s)

0303 Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry;  0904 Chemical Engineering;  0912 Materials Engineering

Keyword(s)

Acrylic monomers;  Amides;  Biodegradable polymers;  Composite fibers;  Contact angle;  Dielectric constants;  Electron device manufacture;  Electrospun nanofibers;  Evaporation speed;  High performance liquid chromatography;  Micro contact printing;  Miscible solvent;  Nanofibers;  N-isopropylacrylamides;  Phase separation;  PNIPAAm;  Polycaprolactone;  Polymers;  Poly-n-isopropyl acrylamide;  Scanning electron microscopy;  Secondary ion mass spectrometry;  SEM;  Surface enrichment;  Thermo-responsive;  Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry;  X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Publisher

American Chemical Society

ISSN

0897-4756

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/cm100753r

Copyright

Copyright © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Peer reviewed