Polymer nanofibers via nozzle-free centrifugal spinning.
We report on the unexpected finding of nanoscale fibers with a diameter down to 25 nm that emerge from a polymer solution during a standard spin-coating process. The fiber formation relies upon the Raleigh-Taylor instability of the spin-coated liquid film that arises due to a competition of the centrifugal force and the Laplace force induced by the surface curvature. This procedure offers an attractive alternative to electrospinning for the efficient, simple, and nozzle-free fabrication of nanoscale fibers from a variety of polymer solutions.
Weitz
R T
RT
Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstr. 1, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany. t.weitz@fkf.mpg.de
Harnau
L
L
Rauschenbach
S
S
Burghard
M
M
Kern
K
K