Effects of Nanoparticles on the Dynamic Morphology of Electrified Jets

TL;DR

This study explores how nanoparticles influence the stability and morphology of electrified jets, revealing that small mass additions can significantly alter fiber dimensions and deposition patterns in electrospinning.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of nanoparticle mass on electrostatic instabilities and jet morphology, providing new insights into controlling fiber properties in electrospinning.

Findings

Nanoparticles affect the onset of jet instabilities.

Small mass increases can double fiber radius.

Morphological changes influence deposition patterns.

Abstract

We investigate the effects of nanoparticles on the onset of varicose and whipping instabilities in the dynamics of electrified jets. In particular, we show that the non-linear interplay between the mass of the nanoparticles and electrostatic instabilities, gives rise to qualitative changes of the dynamic morphology of the jet, which in turn, drastically affect the final deposition pattern in electrospinning experiments. It is also shown that even a tiny amount of excess mass, of the order of a few percent, may more than double the radius of the electrospun fiber, with substantial implications for the design of experiments involving electrified jets as well as spun organic fibers.