35-H-6, an alanine-rich polypeptide, was incorporated in electrospun poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) fibers that were collected on two grounded parallel aluminum plates. Fiber alignment was confirmed via SEM, and the conformation and orientation of polypeptide before and after electrospinning were investigated using CD and polarized FTIR. It was found that the polypeptide adopts an a-helical conformation in electrospun fibers, and the chains of 35-H-6 are well oriented along the uniaxial fiber axis. P2 values calculated for 35-H-6 is in the range of (0.76-0.83). The controlled orientation and conformation in fibrous materials would offer great opportunities for biomaterials research.;Some salt molecules, such as sodium acetate and sodium propionate, can form certain ordered structures in electrospun PEO fibers. These materials may have enhanced ionic conductivity and may be used as polymer electrolytes in lithium batteries.;The mechanism of molecular orientation was also investigated and discussed. It is found that elongation can cause orientation, and to some extent the stretched isotropic electrospun fibers resemble the oriented electrospun fibers, which is supported by both SEM and Polarized FTIR data. However, the possibility that electric field can induce molecular orientation could not be totally eliminated.
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