A multi-focused electrospinning system with optimized multi-ring electrode arrays for the wasteless parallel fabrication of centimeter-scale 2D multilayer electrospun structures

This paper presents a multi-focused electrospinning system consisting of three arrays of ring-shaped electrodes designed for the parallel fabrication of centimeter-scale multilayer 2D electrospun structures. Initially, the geometry of the focusing electrode array is optimized through the analysis of finite element method (FEM) simulations and electrospinning experiments, achieving controlled fiber deposition areas within a diameter range of 2 cm–10 cm. Subsequently, a multi-focusing electrospinning system is constructed by arranging three optimized electrode arrays such that their centers coincided with the vertices of an equilateral triangle, positioned above a 3-DoF (X- and Y-axes translation, Z-axis rotation) moving platform. By varying the voltages and diameters of the focusing electrodes, as well as the rotation of the moving platform, the system demonstrates its capability for the parallel fabrication of multilayered membranes. This is evidenced by the simultaneous creation of circular membranes composed of different materials, with controlled diameters. Furthermore, incorporating the translation motion of the platform enables the production of 2D membranes composed of layers of different materials and patterns with an average accuracy of 90 %. Finally, the system's potential application is illustrated through the fabrication of three patches of varying sizes and materials, simulating the production of medical patches.