Specific structure, morphology, and properties of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes prepared by needleless electrospinning; Forming hollow fibers

Abstract Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes have been prepared using needleless electrospinning with wire electrode and characterized by a series of methods HRSEM, XRD, air permeability and area weight measurements in dependence of high voltage and electrode distance. HRSEM analysis revealed the tendency to longitudinal rolling of strip-shaped PAN fibers forming hollow fibers. Combination of XRD analysis and molecular modeling explains this phenomenon as the consequence of the specific crystal structure of PAN fibers, where the isotactic PAN chains are arranged in layers forming belt shaped nanofibers with the strong tendency to roll up longitudinally forming hollow fibers. This effect offers the possibility to create hollow nanofibers by electrospinning with the appropriate choice of structure of polymer chains.