Role of specific interactions on fiber formation in the electrospinning of poly(vinyl phenol)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) blend solutions

The minimum concentration (Ci) required for electrospinning polymeric fibers from solutions of mixtures of poly(vinyl phenol) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) has been experimentally determined for different blend compositions. This minimum concentration Ci has its lowest value when the polymers are mixed in a 1/1 molar ratio. This article shows different results that seem to indicate that the strong hydrogen bonding interactions between the two polymers and the corresponding higher apparent molecular weight cause the reduction of the Ci value.