The Effect of Collector Geometries on the Nanofiber Alignment

The ability to produce electrospun polymer nanofibers in a repeatable fashion and with a variety of desired morphological characteristics is integral to their use in many nanotechnoloical applications. In this study, the ability of collectors with different geometries to influence the deposition characteristics and in particular, the alignment of polymer fibers was investigated with poly(acrylic acid). It has been seen that fiber deposition is driven by the shape of the electric field while alignment occurs to minimize electrostatic forces on the fibers. Both preferential deposition and alignment can be obtained by manipulating the collector geometry.