Nano-cotton electrospinning for advanced fiber fabrication: A novel method for structuring cellulose-based nanofibers

Electrospinning cotton-derived cellulose into continuous, uniform nanofibers has remained a longstanding challenge due to the high crystallinity, limited solubility, and high degree of polymerization of native cotton. In this study, we present a novel and reproducible electrospinning platform that uniquely integrates monoethanolamine (MEA) into a copper–amine dissolution system, overcoming these barriers and enabling scalable nanofiber fabrication directly from raw cotton. The incorporation of MEA plays a central role by enhancing copper ion complexation, improving cellulose dissolution, and stabilizing the spinning solution, which collectively allow the formation of continuous, bead-free nanofibers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed highly uniform fiber morphology with an average diameter of 104 ± 35 nm, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed a controlled polymorphic transformation from cellulose I to cellulose II upon sequential washing. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) further demonstrated the removal of copper and amines, evidenced by the disappearance of Cu–O and Cu–N bands, while preserving the cellulose backbone. Mechanical testing showed that the regenerated nanofibers retain moderate stiffness (elastic modulus: 61.67 ± 23.5 MPa), making them suitable for functional and structural applications. This MEA-enhanced electrospinning strategy addresses critical limitations of conventional copper–EDA and ionic liquid-based systems by providing a simpler, environmentally conscious, and reproducible pathway for converting high-crystallinity cotton into structurally uniform nanoscale fibers. These findings establish a scalable platform for producing next-generation cellulose-based materials with potential applications in biomedical scaffolds, sustainable textiles, filtration membranes, and functional composites.