Comparative analysis of electrospinning geometries for PEO nanofiber optimization

An extensive experimental investigation was conducted using twelve distinct electrospinning setups, including both horizontal and vertical configurations, in order to evaluate the influence of electric field orientation, spinneret motion (static or mobile), and collector type on nanofiber morphology, average diameter, and dimensional uniformity. The morphology of the electrospun PEO nanofibers was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while fiber diameters were determined from SEM images using the ImageJ analysis software. Statistical analyses, including robust three-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Aligned Rank Transform (ART) tests, were employed to assess the significance of these process parameters on fiber quality. The experimental results demonstrated that both electric field orientation and collector configuration exert a strong influence on PEO nanofiber morphology. The vertical bottom-up configuration produced the finest fibers (187 nm), which may be attributed to enhanced jet stretching and prolonged flight time resulting from the interaction between electrostatic and gravitational forces. In contrast, the horizontal configuration yielded comparatively thicker fibers, likely due to reduced jet tension and less efficient solvent evaporation. The incorporation of a rotating collector promoted fiber alignment, while spinneret motion contributed to improved dimensional uniformity by reducing local fiber accumulation and diameter variability. Overall, the optimal electrospinning setup - comprising a vertical bottom-up geometry, rotating collector, and mobile needle - provided the most stable processing conditions and enabled the fabrication of highly uniform nanofibers.