Oriented Fiber Deposition by Electrospinning
Caution! If you are about to install the rotational drum collector for the first time, please refer to the ‘Rotational Drum Collector – First Time Installation‘ guide.
Before the first attempt to oriented fiber deposition, we highly recommend to read ‘An introduction to: Oriented fiber formation‘ white paper.
This article is a step-by-step guide for the Oriented Fiber Deposition template. This guide assumes that you already have the proper precursor solution prepared.
Note: for notations like “F9” please refer overview of system components.
Preparations
Please, read carefully our start to work article before continuing. During the preparation phase, the precursor solution is loaded into spincube, and both the emitter and the drum collector are installed.
- Turn on spincube with the F9 power on switch and turn on the required pump (typically the one placed on the right side) by toggling the switch F18.
- Fill in a syringe of the desired size with the precursor solution.
- Create a tube assembly if needed
- Assembly HydroDrive with the syringe and connect the desired emitter.
- Set the drum collector (4A) by thumb screw finger-tight (4B-AC). (In case of applying aluminium foil as a carrier, you need to make sure to secure the carrier properly.)
- Open Spinstudio software
- Select “Oriented fiber deposition” template (B4) and create a new project or load the desired project generated previously.
- Connect each modules and click on “Generate project”.
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Select the “Settings” application and configure Electrospinning Chamber, High Voltage Supply, Precursor Pump/HydroDrive and the Camera.
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Before continuing, make sure that all modules of spincube systems are marked with green checkmarks.
Tip: make sure you placed a pale hygroscopic material in the drip tray G5.
Note: for notations like ‘B4’ please refer overview of spinstudio interface.
Performing the experiment
In this section, spincube electrospinner is being controlled from Spinstudio dashboard to generate oriented nanofibers.
Note: Please refer using spincube power, using spincube chamber, using cubepump dashboard interfaces.
- Select “Dashboard” from the application list in Spinstudio. The project’s template consists of an already prepared dashboard suited for oriented fiber deposition.
- Dispense 0.1 mL precursor with 0.1 mL/min flow rate with HydroDrive while continuously inspecting the end of the emitter needle through the camera image. Once the first droplet appears, stop the pump.
- Enable the drum using the spincube rota-collector dashboard interface by toggling, then wait until the beeping sound stops. Set up the minimum limit of the collector rotation to 1% (1000 RPM) and let the drum collector reach constant speed. Then, set the desired rotational speed for the preparation of aligned nanofibrous meshes.
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Activate high voltage on spincube power supply.
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Increase the voltage slowly and gradually using the spincube power dashboard interface until the Taylor-cone appears.
- Once the Taylor-cone appeared, set the desired flow rate (start from several microliters per minute) on HydroDrive and start the pump.
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Use the mouse wheel to adjust the voltage, or adjust the flow rate if needed. The stable Taylor-cone indicates the optimal continuous fiber formation.
Tip: The advised parameter settings in case of PVA precursor solution (10 w/w%, Mowiol 18-88) are the voltage of 20kV, the collector-emitter distance of 15 cm, and the flow-rate of 0.01 mL/min at ambient conditions.
Note: The deposition of the nanofibrous product on the ribbon cables connected to the drum collector can happen, that does not come from the disfunction of the instrument.
Finishing the experiment
- Once the desired amount of nanofibers are produced, disable the high voltage. Set 0 value for the drum collector on dashboard interface, then wait at least 30 sec before opening the chamber.
- Loose the thumb screw (2A-2B) and release the collector with the product (2C).
- Remove the nanofibrous product from the drum collector and let it dry for further 15 minutes.
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Make sure that the emitter and all tubings are released and cleaned properly.
- Make sure that the chamber internal surfaces are cleaned properly.
To learn about post-experiment data analysis, please refer Getting Started with Historical Data
Experiment analysis
Please refer Display Online Data article to learn how to analyse sensor data during experimenting.