Wettability of Electrospun Poly(vinylpyrrolidone)−Titania Fiber Mats on Glass and ITO Substrates in Aqueous Media

Networks of nano/microfibers (fiber mats) have been electrospun from solutions of dispersed poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and a titania precursor onto glass and indium-tin oxide (ITO) plates to study their wettability. Collection time and electrode separation are the two key fabrication parameters investigated, along with the flow rate, polymer molecular weight, and drying conditions, to determine the effects on network morphology and the relationship to contact angles. Measurements indicate that the fiber mats on both glass and ITO increase in thickness and contact angle for longer spinning time and shorter distance, resulting in an extreme case of apparent ultrahydrophobicity on ITO of up to 169.9 degrees with water. The fiber mats are shown by optical microscopy to exhibit differences in morphology for insulating glass (straight) and conductive ITO (loopy) substrates responsible for the wide-ranging and well-controlled wettability to within 1-2 degrees. Fiber mats baked at 200 degrees C for 24 h show excellent mechanical stability with wetting even against frequent heavy rinsing, conducive for reusable aqueous applications such as biosensors or cellular scaffolding.