Contents

Client Citation Analysis

Influence of Mixed Solvent in the Morphology and Hydrophobicity of Electrospun Polystyrene Porous Fibers

This study electrospins polystyrene (PS) from chloroform/DMF mixed solvents and uses water contact-angle measurements (via a Droplet Lab tabletop goniometer) to quantify how solvent ratio and applied voltage influence the hydrophobicity of the resulting fiber mats.

At-a-Glance Summary

Primary surface measurement reported

Water contact angle (wettability) of electrospun polystyrene fiber mats (and a PS film reference surface) using water droplets.

Dropometer attribution in the paper

The authors state: “The contact angle was analyzed on a tabletop goniometer from Droplet Lab.”

How the surface-tension / contact-angle data were used in the study

Water contact angle values and images are used to compare hydrophobicity across electrospinning conditions (chloroform:DMF ratio and applied voltage) and to support a Cassie–Baxter treatment of rough-surface wettability reported as fractional projected area (f).

Paper Details

Title
Influence of Mixed Solvent in the Morphology and Hydrophobicity of Electrospun Polystyrene Porous Fibers
Authors
Guilherme Henrique França Melo; Uttandaraman Sundararaj
Journal
Macromolecular Rapid Communications
Year
2024
Volume
45
Pages / Article
2400403
DOI
10.1002/marc.202400403
License
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License

Journal context

What it is
Journal-level metrics for the publication venue (not a rating of this specific article).
How to read it
Compare metrics within category; updates are annual and lag current-year publications.

Scopus metrics (Elsevier / Scopus rating 2024)

CiteScore 2024

8.4

CiteScore subject ranks (CiteScore 2024)
  • Q1 - Chemistry: Organic Chemistry (29/212)
  • Q1 - Materials Science: Polymers and Plastics (32/167)
  • Q1 - Materials Science: Materials Chemistry (63/324)
SNIP 2024

0.833

SJR 2024

1.078

What Was Measured

Primary surface / interfacial measurement

Water contact angle of electrospun PS fiber mats with water, presented as contact-angle images and contact angle versus applied voltage for multiple chloroform:DMF solvent ratios.

Supporting measurements

Fiber morphology (including fiber and pore dimensions) by SEM, plus solution electrical conductivity and viscosity; surface area and porosity were obtained via gas adsorption and discussed alongside wettability results.

Role of the Dropometer

The paper uses the Droplet Lab tabletop goniometer to analyze water contact angle on electrospun PS fiber mats, with representative droplet images (including a PS film shown as a smooth-surface reference) and quantitative contact-angle values reported across electrospinning conditions.

These contact-angle outputs are used to compare hydrophobicity trends with solvent ratio and applied voltage and to parameterize a Cassie–Baxter-based calculation of fractional projected area (f) reported for the fiber mats.

Method Snapshot

Method Snapshot Table

Series / samples PS solution (as prepared) Solvent ratio (chloroform:DMF, v:v) Applied voltage (kV) Surface measurement outputs reported Instruments Conditions (as reported)
Smooth-surface reference (shown in contact-angle images) PS film (used as “smooth surface” in Figure 6) — — Contact-angle image used for comparison “tabletop goniometer from Droplet Lab” —
Electrospun PS mats (Table 1 nomenclature) PS dissolved at 0.15 g mL⁻¹ 70:30 15.0, 17.5, 20.0, 22.5 Water contact angle (Table 5; Figure 7) + Cassie–Baxter f (Table 6) “tabletop goniometer from Droplet Lab” Work distance 6 cm; flow rate 1.0 mL h⁻¹; collector rotation 600 rpm; temperature 21–22 °C; relative humidity 11–12%
Electrospun PS mats (Table 1 nomenclature) PS dissolved at 0.15 g mL⁻¹ 50:50 15.0, 17.5, 20.0, 22.5 Water contact angle (Table 5; Figure 7) + Cassie–Baxter f (Table 6) “tabletop goniometer from Droplet Lab” Work distance 6 cm; flow rate 1.0 mL h⁻¹; collector rotation 600 rpm; temperature 21–22 °C; relative humidity 11–12%
Electrospun PS mats (Table 1 nomenclature) PS dissolved at 0.15 g mL⁻¹ 30:70 15.0, 17.5, 20.0, 22.5 Water contact angle (Table 5; Figure 7) + Cassie–Baxter f (Table 6) “tabletop goniometer from Droplet Lab” Work distance 6 cm; flow rate 1.0 mL h⁻¹; collector rotation 600 rpm; temperature 21–22 °C; relative humidity 11–12%

Key Findings

High hydrophobicity across electrospun mats

The fiber mats are described as highly hydrophobic based on water contact-angle characterization, with reported contact angles spanning from 130.1° to 143.2° across the studied conditions.

Voltage-dependent increase in contact angle

The authors report: “Generally, the contact angle increases as applied voltage increases,” based on the contact angle versus voltage comparison for multiple solvent ratios (Figure 7 and Table 5).

Highest reported contact angle at 30:70 and 22.5 kV

The highest contact angle value in Table 5 is 143.2 ± 0.6° for the chloroform:DMF ratio of 30:70 at 22.5 kV.

Morphology-based interpretation of contact-angle changes

The paper explains the voltage-driven contact-angle increase as a combined effect of reduced fiber diameter, increased bead frequency, and pores on the fiber surface, which together increase surface roughness and promote hydrophobic behavior.

Cassie–Baxter-derived f values indicate low projected solid fraction

Using the Cassie–Baxter model, the authors report fractional projected area (f) values that are less than 0.3 for all samples (Table 6), and highlight sample C:D_30:70_22.5 with f = 0.143 and an “air below the droplet” contribution of 0.857.

Thresholds / Regimes

The paper frames rough-surface wetting using Cassie–Baxter and Wenzel models, and reports Cassie–Baxter fractional projected area (f) values (Table 6); the authors state that f is less than 0.3 for all samples under their Cassie–Baxter assumption.
Solvent ratio (chloroform:DMF) f at 15.0 kV at 17.5 kV f at 20.0 kV f at 22.5 kV
70:30 0.206 0.189 0.173 0.161
50:50 0.255 0.225 0.209 0.160
30:70 0.185 0.171 0.168 0.143

Figures & Visuals

Figure 6 — Contact-angle image evidence for wettability comparisons

What it shows

Shows contact-angle images of the PS film (smooth surface reference) and electrospun samples made with different chloroform:DMF ratios at 22.5 kV.

Figure 7 — Voltage trend visualization across solvent ratios

What it shows

Plots contact angle versus applied voltage for fiber mats produced using the different chloroform:DMF ratios, supporting the stated trend of increasing contact angle with voltage.

Why It Matters

Within the paper’s framing, wettability (water contact angle) is used as the quantitative surface metric to connect electrospinning conditions (mixed-solvent ratio and applied voltage) to the hydrophobic performance of porous PS fiber mats.

The authors position these hydrophobic, porous fiber mats as candidates for applications including textiles, filtration, and biomedical fields, with contact-angle results serving as the study’s primary wettability evidence alongside morphology and porosity characterization.

Practical Takeaways

Contact angle as the hydrophobicity comparator

The study uses water contact angle (measured on a Droplet Lab tabletop goniometer) to compare hydrophobicity across mats produced with different chloroform:DMF ratios and voltages.

Voltage-driven hydrophobicity shift

Contact angle increases with applied voltage across the tested solvent ratios (Figure 7 and Table 5), providing a direct wettability trend linked to the electrospinning parameter sweep.

Condition associated with the highest contact angle

The highest reported contact angle is 143.2 ± 0.6° for the 30:70 chloroform:DMF condition electrospun at 22.5 kV (Table 5).

Cassie–Baxter parameter reported from contact-angle analysis

The paper reports Cassie–Baxter fractional projected area (f) values (Table 6) and highlights C:D_30:70_22.5 with f = 0.143 and an air contribution under the droplet of 0.857.

Morphology-linked interpretation of wettability

The authors attribute contact-angle differences to changes in fiber diameter, bead formation, and pore presence, describing these as contributors to increased roughness and hydrophobic behavior.

Download Experiment