Electro-Spinning of Submicron Polymer Fibers From Poly(tetrahydroperfluorooctyl acrylate-r-methyl methyl methacrylate) Copolymers

• Main Authors: Deitzel, Joseph M, Kosik, Wendy E, McKnight, Steven H, Tan, Nora C, DeSimone, Joseph M
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: ANGLES; COPOLYMERS; FIBERS; FLUORINE; Inorganic Chemistry; MATERIALS; MELTS; MIXING; PE62618A; Polymer Chemistry; POLYMETHYL METHACRYLATE; REGIONS; SOLUTIONS(MIXTURES); SOLVENTS; SPINNING(MOTION); SURFACE CHEMISTRY; THIN FILMS; TOLUENES; WATER; X RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY

Electro-spinning is a process by which sub-micron polymer fibers can be produced with an electrostatically driven jet of polymer solution (or polymer melt). Electro-spun textiles are of interest in a wide variety of applications including semi-permeable membranes, filters, composite applications, and as scaffolding for tissue engineering. The goal of the research presented here is to demonstrate that it is possible to produce sub-micron fibers with a specific surface chemistry through electro-spinning. This has been accomplished by electro-spinning a series of random copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate (random) tetrahyrdroperflourooctyl acrylate (PMMA-r- TAN) from a mixed solvent of toluene and dimethyl formamlde. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XFS) analysis shows that the atomic percentage of fluorine in the near surface region of the electro- spun fibers is about double the atomic percentage of fluorine found in a bulk sample of the random copolymer, as determined by elemental analysis. These results are in good agreement with XPS and water contact angle results obtained from thin films of the same copolymer materials.