3D electrospinning of highly porous, custom-shaped nanofiber structures by a novel method

Abdullah, Kardo Khalid and Bulátkó, Anna and Molnár, Kolos (2026) 3D electrospinning of highly porous, custom-shaped nanofiber structures by a novel method. RESULTS IN ENGINEERING, 29. p. 108740. ISSN 2590-1230

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Abstract

Traditional electrospinning is constrained by its inherent production of two-dimensional (2D) nanofiber mats, limiting structural versatility. To address this, we introduce a novel vertical wet ES method that enables the fabrication of porous fiber structures with desired 3D shapes. The desired geometries of the fiber structures, including cuboid, cylindrical, and prismatic forms, were achieved using custom-shaped molds for fiber collection. Polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used throughout the study for all experimental investigations. The developed wet electrospinning setup offers the additional advantage of using circulating water to selectively remove the water-soluble component, PEG, thereby inducing porosity within the fiber structures. Fourier-transform infrared analysis confirmed complete PEG and solvent removal, while thermal analysis revealed concentration-dependent transitions. The optimal formulation (PEG at 30 wt% relative to PLA weight) demonstrated remarkable porosity (84–90%) and surface area (17.5 m²/g) due to well-balanced phase separation in the wet ES setup. These advancements open new avenues for engineering and medical applications demanding tailored precision and porosity, such as tissue engineering scaffolds and adaptive biomaterials, where custom 3D geometry is required.

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