Electrospinning of poly(ethylene oxide) with bacterial cellulose whiskers

In the present study, cellulose whiskers were incorporated into nano-fibers of polyethylene oxide (PEO) by the electrospinning process to enhance the mechanical properties of the electrospun PEO fibers. Cellulose whiskers consisting of highly crystalline rod-like particles with a high aspect ratio and specific area were obtained by the acid hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose microfibrils. From the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of the bacterial cellulose whiskers, their length was measured to be 420 +/- 190 nm and their width 11 +/- 4 nm. The height of the whiskers was measured to be 10 +/- 2 nm by atomic force microscopy. The successful formation of electrospun fibers with a diameter of less than 1 mu m and well-embedded microfibrils was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and TEM.