Electrospinning is a versatile, cost-effective polymer processing technique, enabling the production of synthetic nanofibrous structures with topographical features similar to those found in natural extracellular matrix of many tissues. Basically, in the electrospinning technique, a high voltage is applied to the needle of a syringe containing a polymeric solution. The polymeric solution is forced to flow by the action of a pump that controls its flow rate. When the stresses acting at the drop forming at the needle tip and caused by the electric field overcome the surface tension of the solution drop, a jet is formed and the drop geometry changes into a Taylor cone. The jet causes the formation of the fibers that are stretched in long oscillatory movements, reducing its diameter, when traveling in the direction of the grounded collector. When the solvent evaporates, a non-woven fiber mesh structure is obtained. The structure consists typically in randomly distributed fiber mesh, although fiber meshes with preferential directions of alignment can also be produced using specifically designed collectors.
