Production of microsized PMMA droplets using electrospraying with various auxiliary fields

To fabricate uniform nano/microsized beads using the electrospraying process, poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) polymer solution is ejected from a reservoir tip to form suspended droplets using the force of a controllable syringe pump. Using a newly designed electrode connected to the nozzle and a field-controllable target electrode, we obtained uniform microsized beads of the solution. Moreover, by using a two-axis x–yx–y stage, we could obtain selective coverage of microsized PMMA droplets on an insulating PET film. To clarify the effect of the applied field conditions, the droplets deposited on a dielectric substrate were characterized under an optical microscope.

Graphical abstractThe contours of the calculated electric field near the nozzle for various auxiliary electrodes at the same field scale are described in the figure. The auxiliary electrode influenced the electric field near the nozzle tip and the shape of ellipsoidal contour of electric field can influence the meniscus of Taylor-cone in a nozzle tip.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide