title: Fabrication of Electrospun Polymer Fibers with Nonspherical Cross-Sections Using a Nanopressing Technique.
abstract: The fabrication of electrospun polymer fibers is demonstrated with anisotropic cross-sections by applying a simple pressing method. Electrospun polystyrene or poly(methyl methacrylate) fibers are pressed by flat or patterned substrates while the samples are annealed at elevated temperatures. The shapes and morphologies of the pressed polymer fibers are controlled by the experimental conditions such as the pressing force, the pressing temperature, the pressing time, and the surface pattern of the substrate. At the same pressing force, the shape changes of the polymer fibers can be controlled by the pressing time. For shorter pressing times, the deformation process is dominated by the effect of pressing and fibers with barrel-shaped cross-sections can be generated. For longer pressing times, the effect of wetting becomes more important and fibers with dumbbell-shaped cross-sections can be obtained. Hierarchical polymer fibers with nanorods are fabricated by pressing the fibers with porous anodic aluminum oxide templates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jiun-Tai
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Huei
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tyng-Yow
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Ting
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mu-Huan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Chan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D016880:Anisotropy; D004566:Electrodes; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D011137:Polystyrenes; D000537:Aluminum Oxide
keywords: electrospinning; polymer fibers; polystyrene; pressing; wetting