Electrospinning of polymer nanofibers: Effects on oriented morphology, structures and tensile properties

The interest in fabrication of nanofibers using electrospinning method has attracted considerable attention due to its versatile maneuverability of producing controlled fiber structures, porosity, orientations and dimensions. Although the process appears to be simple and straightforward, an understanding of the technique and its influence on the morphology, structural and mechanical properties is still not completely clear. Recently, the size effect on the mechanical properties was reported for fibers across different length scales. Both modulus and strength of poly(ε-capro-lactone) (PCL) fibers were found to increase significantly when the diameter of the fibers was reduced to below ∼500 nm. In this article, for the first time, we critically review and evaluate the role of the microstructures on the fiber deformation behavior and present possible explanations for the enhanced properties of the nanofibers. Our discussions are focused on the techniques to obtain controlled structures and the mechanisms behind the size effect in electronspun fibers are given. In-depth understanding of these mechanisms can provide fruitful outcomes in the development of advanced nanomaterials for devices and miniaturized load-bearing applications.