A simple one-step fabrication of short polymer nanofibers via electrospinning

Short polymer nanofibers were successfully fabricated by electrospinning, a solution composed of a polymer cellulose acetate, acetone, and dimethyl acetamide. The concentration of the polymer in the solution ranged from 13 to 15 wt% and was the most important factor in the fabrication of short nanofibers. The lengths of the short nanofibers were changed via the flow rate of the polymer solution along with the applied voltage. The length was increased by increasing the flow rate of the solution, and it was decreased with an increase in the applied voltage, resulting in a length of short nanofibers that could be controlled at 37–670 μm. The polymer solution jet ejected straight from the needle tip, but then it was spread due to lateral perturbations on the surface of the polymer solution. A rapid increase in the repulsive force from surface charges combined longitudinal forces from the applied voltage split the solution jet and segmented the nanofibers.