Process of fabricating nanofibers by reactive electrospinning

A method for forming cross-linked polymer nanofibers or gel nanofibers by reactive electrospinning;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• (a) supplying one or more reagents to a reactor;
• and initiating a chemical reaction or a photochemical reaction of the one or more reagents within the reactor, within the Taylor cone of an electrospinning process, or in the jet of an electrospinning process;
• (i) wherein the reaction or photochemical reaction produces one or more of:
• a product with a substantially higher degree of crosslinking than the reagents, or a gel product from a sol-gel transition reaction mixture;
• and
• (ii) wherein the reaction mixture or photochemical reaction mixture would become too viscous to undergo electrospinning into nanofibers within about 30 minutes or sooner after the reaction is initiated;
• (b) electrospinning the reaction mixture onto a collector;
• wherein said electrospinning occurs before the reaction mixture becomes too viscous to undergo electrospinning into nanofibers;
• and
• (c) allowing the reaction to continue during electrospinning, or on the collector, or both;
• to produce cross-linked polymer nanofibers or gel nanofibers on the collector, wherein at least some of the nanofibers have a diameter less than about 5 μm.