Fabrication of a superhydrophobic nanofibres by electrospinning

Abstract

The focus of the present work is to fabricate and investigate the surface characteristics of a hydrophilic polycaprolactone (PCL) and superhydrophobic 1H, 1H, 2H, 2HPerfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (PFDTES)-modified polycaprolactone fibrous membranes through simple electro spinning techinique. The surface properties of the polycaprolactone fibrous were modified from hydrophilic to super-hydrophobic with an addition of a small amount (0.05 vol%) PFDTES solution into a mixed solvent of polycaprolactone and chloroform. The morphology of the nanofibirous was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrospun PFDTES-modified polycaprolactone fibrous showed a maximum water contact angle (WCA) of 1580 due to increace in surface roughness when compare with the polycaprolactone fibrous roughness, which showed a maximum WCA of 810 and an average fiber diameter of 400-700 nm.