Force Spinning of PEO-Based Nanofibers

Nanofibers have been obtained by force spinning solutions of polyethylene oxide (PEO) in distilled water at various spinning rates, ranging between 1,000 to 10,000 rpm. The polymer, PEO, was purchased from Sigma Aldrich. A detailed analysis of the nanofibers’ production as a function of the concentrations of PEO solutions and of the spinning rate is presented. The as-obtained PEO nanofibers have been collected as mats and analyzed by several spectroscopic techniques such as Raman (532 and 785 nm), X-Ray, and XPS. Optical and electron microscopy was used to evaluate the distribution of the diameters of PEO nanofibers and to quantify the effect of PEO concentration and spinning rate. To determine the effect of the fast spinning on the morphology of PEO nanofibers, pristine PEO films have been obtained by the evaporation of PEO solutions used to obtain the nanofibers. This analysis was focused on the effect of spinning rate on the crystallinity of PEO mats. Complementary data have been obtained by DSC measurements. Tentatively, the effect of solvents (toluene, acetone, and chloroform) on the morphology of PEO nanofibers will be analyzed.