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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
Fibrous materials are used in a variety of applications due to their relatively high surface area to volume as well as anisotropic behavior. Electrospinning is a popular fabrication method which produces polymer nanofibres with a potentially high molecular alignment. In this work we examine the surface free energy of electrospun polyvinyl-alcohol nanofibres and its relation to molecular ordering using scanning probe microscopy adhesion measurements. Comparisons are made with bulk polymer material to show that a high degree of molecular orientation is present at least at the surface of the polymer nanofibre. As a result, the surface free energy of electrospun polymer nanofibres is greater than that of a bulk polymer. This effect indicates that the electrospinning process is effective at polymer alignment over a variety of experimental parameters.