Slit-surface electrospinning: a novel process developed for high-throughput fabrication of core-sheath fibers.
In this work, we report on the development of slit-surface electrospinning--a process that co-localizes two solutions along a slit surface to spontaneously emit multiple core-sheath cone-jets at rates of up to 1 L/h. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that production of electrospun core-sheath fibers has been scaled to this magnitude. Fibers produced in this study were defect-free (i.e. non-beaded) and core-sheath geometry was visually confirmed under scanning electron microscopy. The versatility of our system was demonstrated by fabrication of (1) fibers encapsulating a drug, (2) bicomponent fibers, (3) hollow fibers, and (4) fibers from a polymer that is not normally electrospinnable. Additionally, we demonstrate control of the process by modulating parameters such as flow rate, solution viscosity, and fixture design. The technological achievements demonstrated in this work significantly advance core-sheath electrospinning towards commercial and manufacturing viability.
Arsenal Medical, Inc., Watertown, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Xuri
X
Yan
Arsenal Medical, Inc., Watertown, Massachusetts, United States of America.
John
J
Marini
Arsenal Medical, Inc., Watertown, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Robert
R
Mulligan
Arsenal Medical, Inc., Watertown, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Abby
A
Deleault
Arsenal Medical, Inc., Watertown, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Upma
U
Sharma
School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Michael P
MP
Brenner
Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Gregory C
GC
Rutledge
Arsenal Medical, Inc., Watertown, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Toby
T
Freyman
Arsenal Medical, Inc., Watertown, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Quynh P
QP
Pham
D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure