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Measuring size-dependent mechanical properties of electrospun polystyrene fibers using in-situ AFM-SEM

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Abstract

The mechanical properties of individual electrospun polystyrene fibers with sub-micron diameters were measured using a combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The strain to failure of the electrospun fibers was observed to increase as the fiber diameter decreased. This size dependent mechanical behavior in individual electrospun polystyrene fibers indicates a suppression of localized failure and a shift away from crazing that is dominant in bulk samples.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr Zofia Luklinska and the NanoVision Centre at Queen Mary for the use of facilities and NanoForce Technology Limited for use of electrospinning facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials, School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK

    Russell J. Bailey, Beatriz Cortes-Ballesteros, Hao Zhang, Congwei Wang & Asa H. Barber

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  1. Russell J. Bailey
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  2. Beatriz Cortes-Ballesteros
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  3. Hao Zhang
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  4. Congwei Wang
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  5. Asa H. Barber
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Bailey, R.J., Cortes-Ballesteros, B., Zhang, H. et al. Measuring size-dependent mechanical properties of electrospun polystyrene fibers using in-situ AFM-SEM. MRS Online Proceedings Library 1424, 13–17 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1557/opl.2012.75

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