Voltage Polarity in Electrospinning: A Way to Control the Properties of Polymer Fibres

Thanks to its versatility, electrospinning is widely employed to produce polymer fibres used in various applications, including bioengineering, water collection, and energy harvesting. One of the key advantages of electrospinning is that the modification of a single process parameter can significantly influence the properties of the materials produced, eliminating the need for additional post-treatment processes. One such critical parameter is voltage polarity applied to the nozzle. By alternating the polarity between positive and negative, the types of charges that accumulate on the polymer jet are altered, which results in the reconfiguration of surface molecules and changes in surface chemistry, thus allowing for tailored material properties that meet specific application requirements. This chapter discusses the impact of electrical polarity on electrospun fibres’ surface and mechanical properties while highlighting the various methods employed to investigate these effects. Finally, this chapter underscores the importance of voltage polarity in electrospinning as an effective nanoscale tool to enhance fibre surface properties and adapt them for various applications. This straightforward adjustment of the process enables the fine-tuning of fibre characteristics such as surface potential, wettability, chemical composition, and mechanical strength, thereby making electrospinning a highly versatile and efficient technique for engineering advanced polymeric materials for tissue engineering, water and energy harvesting.