Microfabrication in electrospun nanofibers by electrical discharges

This paper reports an innovative use of electrical discharge for fabricating microstructures in electrospun polymer nanofibers. Thermal energy generated by micropatterned discharge arcs elevates temperature in localized regions and melts polymer nanofibers in the close vicinity. This process is investigated analytically and using finite element method. Microstructures with minimum line width as small as 20 μm are demonstrated. The remelting effect induced by electrical discharge arcs is also examined. This method provides a promising start point to interface biodegradable nanofibrous materials to microstructures with satisfactory simplicity and low cost, which is significant for a broad range of biomedical applications. Immediate applications include tissue engineering, drug delivery and nanoelectronics.