Preparation of micro-nano structure from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) by electrospun and selective removal

Electrospinning fibers with nano/micro-scale porous structures were fabricated from polymer solutions containing micro/nano-sized salt suspensions of sodium bicarbonate or sodium sulfate and were subsequently removed through a washing process. And finally, the structure and properties of porous PAN fibers were determined through FT-IR, contact angle, and porosity percentage. The amount of porosity and hydrophilicity was higher in the PAN fibers obtained from the composite PAN/NaHCO3. This approach provides a straightforward and versatile method to fabricate electrospun fibers with porous secondary structures, which are desirable in many significant applications, including isolation, tissue engineering, and controllable drug release.