Electrospinning of hydroxypropyl cellulose fibers and their application in synthesis of nano and submicron tin oxide fibers

Synthesis of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) fibers via electrospinning has been demonstrated, for the first time, in this investigation. The HPC solution in two different solvents, anhydrous ethanol and 2-propanol, has been utilized with two different tip-to-collector distance (10 and 15 cm) for synthesizing HPC fibers by varying applied voltage within the range of 10–30 kV. It has been shown that, nano (<100 nm) and submicron (>100 nm) HPC fibers can be obtained under the described electrospinning conditions. Average HPC fiber diameter and its bead formation tendency appear to be a function of nature of the solvent and the applied voltage. Characteristic features of electrospinning of HPC fibers appear to be in consonance with the established mechanism of polymer fiber formation via electrospinning. Use of electrospun HPC fibers in synthesizing and depositing highly porous network of nano and submicron tin oxide (SnO2) fibers on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device has been demonstrated.