AC electrospinning: impact of high voltage and solvent on the electrospinnability and productivity of polycaprolactone electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds

Electrospinning technology employs direct current high voltage to produce electrospun fibers from the polymeric liquid or melt. However, until now, the impact of alternating current (AC) high voltage on the spinnability of polymers remains inadequately explored. This work studies the effects of various less toxic solvents and AC high voltage (25 and 32 kV RMS ) on the spinnability, morphology, and productivity of polycaprolactone (PCL) electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds (ENS). Besides this, cellular activity on various PCL ENS is also evaluated. Herein, formic acid (F), formic acid/acetic acid (FA), and formic acid/acetic acid/acetone (FAA) solvent systems are used to prepare various concentrations of PCL solutions. Preliminary polymer–solvent interaction studies confirm that FAA is the better solvent choice for PCL than FA and F. FAA-PCL exhibits higher viscosity than FA-PCL and F-PCL due to better polymer–solvent interactions and PCL stability. Consequently, FAA-PCL shows higher electrospun nanofiber productivity at 32 kV RMS (12.4 ± 0.3 g/h), followed by FA-PCL (6.9 ± 0.1 g/h) and F-PCL (2.2 ± 0.2 g/h). Finally, the cytotoxicity and in vitro experiments indicate that the fabricated ENS are noncytotoxic and biocompatible with 3T3-L1 mouse fibroblast cells. This study will inspire the academic and industrial communities to fabricate various polymeric nanofibers on a large scale using AC electrospinning technique. • PCL ENSs were created via the AC electrospinning technique using various benign solvents. • PCL solutions were prepared using formic acid (F), formic acid/acetic acid (FA), and formic acid/acetic acid/acetone (FAA). • FAA was a better solvent system for PCL in terms of PCL’s stability (reduced hydrolytic activity) and AC spinnability. • PCL dissolved in the FAA provides higher ENS productivity (12.4±0.3)g/h, followed by FA (6.9±0.1)g/h and F (2.2±0.2)g/h. • PCL ENSs were noncytotoxic and biocompatible with fibroblast cells.