A reactive electrospinning approach for nanoporous PLA/monetite nanocomposite fibers

Nanoporous fibers of PLA/monetite nanocomposite were fabricated using a reactive electrospinning approach using appropriate precursors. Monetite is formed in-situ during the electrospinning of PLA matrix. The crystal phase and morphological structure of the monetite/PLA fibers were characterized using X-ray diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscope. The monetite particles were uniformly distributed through the electrospun fibers. Water and heat were produced during the formation of monetite as by-products. Both water and heat had the ability to modify the surface of the electrospun PLA/monetite fibers. Water induced pore formation (WIPF) was the most likely mechanism to explain the pore formation during the reactive electrospinning process. Electrospinning parameters such as feed rate, spinning voltage and monetite contents in the composite fibers were correlated to pore formation in the fibers. The feed rate had a significant effect on the pore formation. There was a little decrease in the value of the BET surface area for the fibers electrospun at high rate compared to that of the fibers electrospun at low rate. At low spinning voltage of 10 kV, most surfaces were nonporous. However, at a greater voltage (e.g. 26 kV) the number of pores increased on the surfaces. As the monetite contents increased, the pores were produced in a longitudinal shape and surface became rough. The final morphology of the pore formation implies a competition between the amounts of the generated by-product water and heat. By controlling the electrospinning parameter, it is possibly to manipulate fibers with the controlled pore area. Published by Elsevier B.V.