Changeable wettability of electrospun membrane by adjusting self-assembly micelles structure of amphiphilic block copolymer

Fiber membranes with high specific surface area can be produced when using electrospinning technology combined with amphiphilic block polymers. Due to the solubility difference between the two segments of amphiphilic block polymers, it is easy to be self-assembly in solvents, which affects the morphology of the spinning fiber and the surface properties of the membrane. In this work, the relationship between the self-assembly of the amphiphilic block polymer and the morphology of the spinning fiber and the wetting performance of the spinning membrane was explored. Membrane is produced by electrospinning amphiphilic block copolymer PS-b-PHEMA (polystyrene-block-poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) by using co-solvent system. PS-b-PHEMA with controlled molecular weight (Mw) and polymer dispersity index (PDI) was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The electrospun membrane have both super-hydrophobic and super-hydrophilic by adjusting the ratio of mixed solvents, demonstrating that the wetting performance of the fiber membrane mainly depends on the shell structure of the self-assembly micelles.