Self-assembly of polyethylene oxide and its composite nanofibrous membranes with cellular network structure

Cellular network structured nanofibrous membranes (NFMs) hold great promise in a broad range of applications; however, constructing the cellular network structured NFMs by electrospinning has proved to be extremely challenging. Herein, we present a facile method to controllably fabricate polyethylene oxide (PEO) and PEO/ZIF8 NFMs with cellular network structure via electrospinning. We systematically study the effects of the properties of electrospinning solution and electrospinning conditions on the self-assembly formation of cellular nanofibrous network structure. The results show that the self-assembly of the charged electrospun nanofibers could be ascribed to the competitive action of surface tension and electrostatic repulsion on the nanofibers. In addition, we successfully obtain the optimal electrospinning parameters and solution composition ratio for the preparation of regular network structure. This work opens pathways for designing and developing the electrospun composite NFMs with cellular network structure.

Automated summary

This study systematically investigates the effects of electrospinning solution properties and conditions on the self-assembly formation of cellular nanofibrous network structure, revealing that the self-assembly of charged electrospun nanofibers is attributed to the competitive action of surface tension and electrostatic repulsion. Additionally, the optimal electrospinning parameters and solution composition ratio have been successfully obtained for the preparation of regular network structure.