Effects of nozzle mobility on fibre formation in double-nozzle electrospinning designs

This study investigates the effect of axial nozzle movement, specifically reciprocating and parallel patterns, on fibre morphology in a double-nozzle electrospinning system using a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) solution. The study provides a systematic analysis of the combined influence of motion direction and speed on electric-field redistribution, jet-deflection asymmetry, and fibre formation in a closely spaced dual-jet system. Experiments conducted at varying nozzle speeds and inter-nozzle distances show that higher velocities, particularly 100 mm/s, reduce jet-deflection asymmetry to ≤ 2.6°, suppress jet–jet interference, and decrease the mean fibre diameter from > 120 nm to as low as 76.07 nm. The results establish a direct relationship between motion parameters, jet stability, and fibre uniformity, demonstrating that nozzle mobility acts as a tunable control mechanism for nanofibre morphology rather than as a passive geometric modification. These effects are motion-dependent, with reciprocating rather than parallel movement reducing defect occurrence and producing finer, more uniform nanofibres. The proposed approach therefore highlights reciprocating nozzle motion as an effective strategy for enhancing fibre quality in multi-nozzle electrospinning systems.