the effect of electrospinning parameters on the final structure of the electrospun pcl fibers

In the last decade, regenerating damaged tissues has been a primary focus in tissue engineering research. an ideal wound dressing can be produced from synthetic polymers, such as polycaprolactone (pcl), via electrospinning. the processing variables significantly affect fiber morphology and characteristics, including fiber size and porosity. these factors directly influence the properties of wound dressings. this study investigated how the electrospinning process variables—specifically needle-to-plate distance, flow rate, and applied voltage—affect the diameter and morphology of nanofibers. by adjusting these parameters, researchers can optimize the performance of this technique and enhance the properties of the resulting fibers. initially, pcl solutions with varying compositions and concentrations were prepared. the results indicated that increasing the voltage from 12 kv to 16 kv across three samples resulted in a decrease in the nanofiber diameter from 205.28 ± 50 nm to 175.74 ± 41 nm. conversely, changing the flow rate from 0.4 to 0.6 ml/h in two samples increased the average fiber diameter from 210.66 ± 43 nm to 223.18 ± 44 nm. additionally, increasing the needle-to-plate distance also led to a reduction in fiber diameter. scanning electron microscopy (sem) images revealed that interconnected, thin, bead-free nanofibers could be achieved at high voltages, low flow rates, and longer distances. however, at voltages above 18 kv and distances greater than 18 cm, bead formation in the nanofiber structure became inevitable. furthermore, the polymer solution containing a certain amount of salt exhibited high conductivity, which resulted in fiber breakage.