Hierarchically Ordered Polymer Nanofibers via Electrospinning and Controlled Polymer Crystallization

A new method of fabricating hierarchically ordered nanofibers by combining electrospinning and controlled polymer crystallization techniques was studied. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), dimethylformamide (DMF), toluene, gold (III) chloride, tetrabutylammonium borohydride, and didodecyldimethylammonium bromide were used and synthesized. PEO nanofibers were electrospun onto the surface of a carbon-coated nickel TEM grid. Ruthenium tetraoxide (RuO 4) was used to stain some of the TEM samples. Electrospinning nanofibers of PEO, which were collected on the surface of glass slides or TEM grids, were incubated in a polymer solution for 60 minutes. The nanofibers were then taken out from the solution and washed with DMF to remove free polymers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was carried out using an environmental SEM. It was concluded that this new technique can find wide applications in the field of sensors, catalyst support, nanoelectronics, and tissue engineering.