Poly(ethylene oxide) thin films produced by electrospray deposition: morphology control and additive effects of alcohols on nanostructure.
Nanostructured thin films were prepared by electrospray deposition (ESD) from poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) aqueous solution. The surface morphologies of the deposited films were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM images revealed the correlations between the morphologies and the ESD conditions. By changing the applied voltage and solution properties such as viscosity, surface tension, conductivity, and molecular weight, PEO thin films with diverse nanostructures--from nanospheres to nanofibers--were fabricated. It was also revealed that the addition of alcohols to polymer solution, which enables simultaneously changing the viscosity, the surface tension, and the conductivity, enhanced the formation of the fibrous structure. These results indicate that the ESD method is potentially a useful option for producing nanoengineered polymer surface.
Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials and International Research Center of Macromolecular Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-S8-27 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan.
Kenji
K
Morota
Hidetoshi
H
Matsumoto
Tomoya
T
Mizukoshi
Yuichi
Y
Konosu
Mie
M
Minagawa
Akihiko
A
Tanioka
Yutaka
Y
Yamagata
Kozo
K
Inoue
D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods; D008970:Molecular Weight; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D055672:Static Electricity; D013499:Surface Properties; D013500:Surface Tension; D014783:Viscosity; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
D000438:Alcohols; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D014867:Water; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols