Melt electrospinning

Abstract

Melt electrospinning is relatively under-investigated compared to solution electrospinning but provides opportunities in numerous areas, in which solvent accumulation or toxicity are a concern. These applications are diverse, and provide a broad set of challenges to researchers involved in electrospinning. In this context, melt electrospinning provides an alternative approach that bypasses some challenges to solution electronspinning, while bringing new issues to the forefront, such as the thermal stability of polymers. This Focus Review describes the literature on melt electrospinning, as well as highlighting areas where both melt and solution are combined, and potentially merge together in the future. New kid on the block: Melt electrospinning is comparatively under-investigated compared to solution electrospinning but provides opportunities in numerous areas where solvent accumulation or toxicity are a concern. This Focus Review provides an historical perspective and covers all published articles on melt electrospinning. Additionally, we describe two uses for melt-electrospun fibersa-textiles and scaffolds for tissue engineering (TE) applicationsa-and put forth our opinions on the future in these areas. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.