Browsing by Author "Chiu, Yu-Jing"

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Alignment-Improved and Diameter-Reduced Electrospun Polymer Fibers via the Hot-Stretching Process
(1970-01-01)
Hsu, Hsun-Hao
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Li, Jia-Wei
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
;
Chang, Kai-Chieh
Electrospinning is one of the most facile and versatile techniques to prepare polymer fibers ranging from micrometers to nanometers. Although several parameters can be tuned to control the sizes and morphologies of electrospun fibers, many obstacles are still encountered as the target sizes of the fibers are getting smaller; for example, the sizes of the fibers can be effectively reduced by lowering the polymer solution concentrations but beaded or beads-on-string structures are usually formed. To overcome such obstacles, here a simple technique to prepare alignment-improved and diameter-reduced fibers without bead formation by hot-stretching electrospun fibers at temperatures higher than the glass transition temperatures of the polymers is developed. Polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) are both used in this work as model materials. The relationship between the draw ratio and diameter of the fibers is quantitatively analyzed, demonstrating the control of the fiber diameters. Moreover, higher degrees of alignment improvement at the middle part of the fibers than those at the end part is observed, which results in lower water contact angles at the middle part of the fibers. This work provides a useful post-treatment technique to control the sizes and orientations of electrospun polymer fibers.
Asymmetries in Porous Membranes: Fabrication of Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membranes with Double-Sized Nanopores and Controlled Surface Properties
(2019-06-13)
Liu, Chih-Ting
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Lin, Yu-Liang
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Chu, Chien-Wei
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Chang, Chun-Wei
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
Recently, anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes with ordered and monodispersed nanopores have attracted significant attention because the pore sizes and lengths of the AAO membranes can be systematically controlled by changing the anodization parameters. Asymmetries of geometry, wettability, charge, and polarity in nanoporous AAO membranes are now highly desired for applications such as drug delivery, membrane filtration, and catalysis. Although the asymmetries in AAO membranes have been widely studied, AAO membranes whose nanopores simultaneously possess more than two asymmetric properties still need to be developed. In this work, we present a simple method to fabricate asymmetric AAO membranes by combining the post-treatments with the three-step anodization method. The asymmetries of the AAO membranes simultaneously possessing larger nanopores with higher hydrophobicity and smaller nanopores with lower hydrophobicity are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle measurements, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Using the asymmetric AAO membranes, nanowires of polystyrene and poly(styreneb/ock-dimethylsiloxane) with double-sized diameters are also fabricated via the melt and solvent wetting methods, exhibiting that the AAO membranes with double-sized diameters can be used as the templates for generating double-sized polymer nanowires.
Fabrication and Thermal Dissipation Properties of Carbon Nanofibers Derived from Electrospun Poly(Amic Acid) Carboxylate Salt Nanofibers
(1970-01-01)
Li, Jia-Wei
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Chang, Chia-Jui
;
He, Hung-Chieh
;
Tu, Yi-Hsuan
Polyimides (PIs) possess excellent mechanical properties, thermal stability, and chemical resistance and can be converted to carbon materials by thermal carbonization. The preparation of carbon nanomaterials by carbonizing PI-based nanomaterials, however, has been less studied. In this work, the fabrication of PI nanofibers is investigated using electrospinning and their transformation to carbon nanofibers. Poly(amic acid) carboxylate salts (PAASs) solutions are first electrospun to form PAAS nanofibers. After the imidization and carbonization processes, PI and carbon nanofibers can then be obtained, respectively. The Raman spectra reveal that the carbon nanofibers are partially graphitized by the carbonization process. The diameters of the PI nanofibers are observed to be smaller than those of the PAAS nanofibers because of the formation of the more densely packed structures after the imidization processes; the diameters of the carbon nanofibers remain similar to those of the PI nanofibers after the carbonization process. The thermal dissipation behaviors of the PI and carbon nanofibers are also examined. The infrared images indicate that the transfer rates of thermal energy for the carbon nanofibers are higher than those for the PI nanofibers, due to the better thermal conductivity of carbon caused by the covalent sp(2) bonding between carbon atoms.
Fabrication and Thermal Insulation Properties of Bamboo-Shaped Polymer Fibers by Selective Solvent Vapor Annealing
(2018-12-01)
Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Chiu, Han-Lun
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Wu, Bo-Hao
;
Li, Jia-Wei
Fibrillar materials have gained much attention recently because of their unique properties and potential applications. Although many methods have been developed to fabricate materials, it remains challenging to prepare fibrillar materials containing multicomponent materials or even with complex structures. Here, a facile strategy is developed to fabricate bamboo-shaped fibers by treating electrospun polymer core-shell fibers with solvent vapor annealing. Electrospun polystyrene (PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) core-shell fibers are first prepared by electrospinning PS/PMMA blend solutions via a phase separation process. When the PS/PMMA core-shell fibers are annealed with the vapor of cyclohexane, which swells and delocalizes the PS domains selectively, the fibers transform into bamboo-shaped structures. The bamboo-shaped structures can be further examined by swelling and delocalizing the PMMA domains selectively, revealing the undulated PS structures. The thermal insulation properties of the fibers with bamboo-shaped structures are observed to be enhanced compared with the original polymer core-shell fibers.
Fabrication of Electrospun Polymer Fibers with Nonspherical Cross-Sections Using a Nanopressing Technique
(2016-02)
Chen, Jiun-Tai
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Kao, Yi-Huei
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Kuo, Tyng-Yow
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Liu, Chih-Ting
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
The fabrication of electrospun polymer fibers is demonstrated with anisotropic cross-sections by applying a simple pressing method. Electrospun polystyrene or poly(methyl methacrylate) fibers are pressed by flat or patterned substrates while the samples are annealed at elevated temperatures. The shapes and morphologies of the pressed polymer fibers are controlled by the experimental conditions such as the pressing force, the pressing temperature, the pressing time, and the surface pattern of the substrate. At the same pressing force, the shape changes of the polymer fibers can be controlled by the pressing time. For shorter pressing times, the deformation process is dominated by the effect of pressing and fibers with barrel-shaped cross-sections can be generated. For longer pressing times, the effect of wetting becomes more important and fibers with dumbbell-shaped cross-sections can be obtained. Hierarchical polymer fibers with nanorods are fabricated by pressing the fibers with porous anodic aluminum oxide templates.
Fabrication, Morphology Control, and Electroless Metal Deposition of Electrospun ABS Fibers
(2016-08)
Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Chi, Mu-Huan
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Liu, Ying-Hsuan
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
;
交大名義發表
Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) is a polymer composing of acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene. It has been widely used in industry because of its good mechanical and physical properties. The fabrication of ABS fibers, however, has been rarely studied. Here the fabrication of ABS fibers has been reported by an electrospinning technique, in which the sizes and morphologies of the fibers can be controlled by adjusting the electrospinning conditions. The morphologies of the ABS fibers can also be transformed by annealing the fibers on poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films. After annealing, the ABS fibers gradually transform to ABS particles embedded in the PMMA films by a mechanism similar to the Rayleigh-instability-type transformation. To extend the applications of the electrospun ABS fibers, electroless deposition of copper is also conducted, resulting in copper-coated ABS fibers.
From Electrospun Polymer Core-Shell Fibers to Polymer Hemispheres and Spheres: Two Types of Transformation Processes and Tearing Films with Linearly Arranged Cavities
(2017-11-28)
Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Lo, Yu-Ching
;
Wu, Bo-Hao
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
Electrospun polymer core shell fibers have gained much attention because of their promising applications in areas such as electronic devices, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. The morphology transformation of polymer core shell fibers, however, has been rarely investigated. Here, we study the effect of thermal annealing on the morphology transformation of electrospun polystyrene (PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) core-shell fibers on PMMA. films. Two types of transformation processes are discovered. In the first type of the transformation process (type I), the PS cores transform to hemispherical particles after the annealing process; in the second type of the transformation process (type II), the PS cores transform to spherical particles after the annealing process. The measured sizes of the hemispherical and spherical PS domains fall into two classified regions, as predicted for the two different types of transformation processes. It is also observed that the growth rates of the undulated amplitude are similar for the two different types of transformation processes, but the type I fibers start to undulate at later annealing times than the type II fibers do. When the PS particles are selectively removed, the PMMA films with linearly arranged cavities are used for the tearing experiments, demonstrating a proof of concept on the potentials in studying the mechanical properties of cavity-containing films.
Hierarchical and Spiral Polymer Structures: Direct Electrospinning on Porous Anodic Aluminum Oxide Templates
(1970-01-01)
Liu, Ying-Hsuan
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
;
交大名義發表
;
應用化學系
Electrospun fibers with hierarchical structures have attracted a great deal of attention because they have distinct properties, such as large specific surface areas and high surface area-to-volume ratios, and can be applied to various fields. Here, a simple and versatile method is demonstrated to prepare electrospun fibers with hierarchical structures by directly electrospinning poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) solutions on porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. Hierarchical PMMA structures with micro- and nanometer scales can be generated. The two length scales of the hierarchical structures can be independently controlled; the first length scale is controlled by the electrospinning conditions, and the second length scale is controlled by the pore sizes of the AAO templates. By adding water in the polymer solutions, the evaporation of the solvents and the whipping instability of the solution jets can be manipulated. Consequently, spiral and hierarchical structures can be obtained. This study opens a promising avenue in fabricating electrospun polymer fibers with hierarchical structures, which should have great potential in a variety of applications, such as filtration, diagnosis, and tissue regeneration.
Hierarchical and Spiral Polymer Structures: Direct Electrospinning on Porous Anodic Aluminum Oxide Templates
(2019-08-01)
Liu, Ying-Hsuan
;
Chiu, Yu-Jing
;
Chen, Jiun-Tai
;
交大名義發表
;
應用化學系
Electrospun fibers with hierarchical structures have attracted a great deal of attention because they have distinct properties, such as large specific surface areas and high surface area-to-volume ratios, and can be applied to various fields. Here, a simple and versatile method is demonstrated to prepare electrospun fibers with hierarchical structures by directly electrospinning poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) solutions on porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. Hierarchical PMMA structures with micro- and nanometer scales can be generated. The two length scales of the hierarchical structures can be independently controlled; the first length scale is controlled by the electrospinning conditions, and the second length scale is controlled by the pore sizes of the AAO templates. By adding water in the polymer solutions, the evaporation of the solvents and the whipping instability of the solution jets can be manipulated. Consequently, spiral and hierarchical structures can be obtained. This study opens a promising avenue in fabricating electrospun polymer fibers with hierarchical structures, which should have great potential in a variety of applications, such as filtration, diagnosis, and tissue regeneration.
M Breaking embedded electrospun fibers (BEEF): Fabrication of polymer spheres encapsulated in polymer films
(2016-12)
Chi, Heng-Yu
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Tsai, Chia-Chan
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
;
應用化學系
In this work, a novel method to fabricate polymer spheres encapsulated in polymer films by breaking embedded electrospun fibers (BEEF) was developed. Polymer fibers were first prepared by electrospinning and embedded in other polymer films using a three-layer deposition method. After thermal annealing, the electrospun fibers transform into individual spheres with regular spacing and sizes. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS) are both used as the fiber or film materials. The transformation process can be observed in-situ by optical microscope (OM) and is similar to the Plateau-Rayleigh instability. The growth rates of the surface undulation of the fibers are calculated, and higher growth rates are observed at higher annealing temperatures. The sizes of the encapsulated polymer spheres agree well with the theoretical predictions. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 2463-2470
Morphology transformations of electrospun polymer fibers annealed on polymer films with thickness-controlled growth rates of undulation
(2018-01-03)
Kuo, Tyng-Yow
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
;
應用化學系
Electrospun polymer fibers have attracted great attention in recent years because of their unique properties and applications in various areas such as tissue engineering and drug delivery. It remains a great challenge, however, to understand the morphology and property changes of electrospun polymer fibers induced by post-treatment, especially thermal annealing. In this work, we investigate the morphology evolution of electrospun polystyrene (PS) fibers thermally annealed on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films. Driven by the surface and interfacial tensions, the PS fibers transform to a series of regularly aligned anisotropic particles embedded in the PVA films via a Rayleigh instability-type transformation. From the in-situ observed optical microscopy (OM) images, higher growth rates of undulated amplitude can be obtained for thinner PVA films, revealing the effect of the underlying glass substrates. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
On-Film Annealing: A Simple Method to Fabricate Heterogeneous Polymer Surfaces, Porous Films, and Hemispheres
(2015-07-01)
Chen, Jiun-Tai
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Lee, Po-Hsi
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
;
Kao, Yi-Huei
Polymer microspheres have been widely investigated because of their applications in areas such as drug delivery, latex diagnostics, and affinity bioseparators. The effect of annealing on polymer microspheres, however, has been rarely studied. In this work, we demonstrate the morphology transformation of polystyrene (PS) microspheres annealed thermally on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films. During the annealing process, the PS microspheres gradually sink into the PMMA films and transform into PS hemispheres, driven by the reduction of the surface and interfacial energies. The effect of the film thicknesses on the morphology transformation is also studied. In addition, porous PMMA films or PS hemispheres can be obtained by removing the PS or the PMMA domains of the polymer composites using cyclohexane or acetic acid, respectively.
Plateau-Rayleigh Instability Morphology Evolution (PRIME): From Electrospun Core-Shell Polymer Fibers to Polymer Microbowls
(2017-03-01)
Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Lo, Yu-Ching
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Wu, Bo-Hao
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
Electrospun core-shell fibers have great potentials in many areas, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and organic solar cells. Although many core-shell fibers have been prepared and studied, the morphology transformation of core-shell fibers have been rarely studied. In this work, the morphology evolution of electrospun core-shell polymer fibers driven by the Plateau-Rayleigh instability is investigated. Polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS/PMMA) core-shell fibers are first prepared by using blend solutions and a single axial electrospinning setup. After PS/PMMA core-shell fibers are annealed on a PS film, the fibers undulate and sink into the polymer film, forming core-shell hemispheres. The evolution process, which can be observed in situ by optical microscopy, is mainly driven by achieving lower surface and interfacial energies. The morphologies of the transformed structures can be confirmed by a selective removal technique, and polymer microbowls can be obtained.
Preparation and thermal dissipation of hollow carbon fibers from electrospun polystyrene/poly(amic acid) carboxylate salt core-shell fibers
(2020-05-05)
Li, Jia-Wei
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Hsu, Hsun-Hao
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Chang, Chia-Jui
;
Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
Polyimides (PIs) possess great mechanical properties, outstanding thermal stability, solvent inertness, and the ability to be converted into carbon by thermal carbonization. Although studies on carbon materials derived from PIs have been conducted, PI-derived one-dimensional (1D) carbon materials with high surface areas, especially carbon tubes or hollow carbon fibers, have been rarely investigated. In this work, we provide a simple and facile method to prepare hollow carbon fibers by carbonizing hollow PI fibers. Blend solutions of poly(amic acid) carboxylate salts (PAAS) and polystyrene (PS) are electrospun to form core-shell PS/PAAS fibers, in which the PS and PAAS domains are used as sacrificial and precursor materials, respectively. By imidizing the PAAS to PI and selectively removing PS, hollow PI fibers can be obtained. Finally, the hollow PI fibers are carbonized to form hollow carbon fibers. The fiber samples at different stages are examined by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectrometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The infrared images show that the thermal energy transfer rates of the hollow carbon fibers are higher than those of the hollow PI and PS/PI core-shell fibers, which can be attributed to the better thermal conductivity of carbon resulting from the covalent sp(2) bonding between carbon atoms and the high surface area of the hollow structure.
Radial Linear Polymer Patterns Driven by the Marangoni Instability and Lateral Phase Separation for the Formation of Nanoscale Perforation Lines
(2019-05-01)
Wu, Bo-Hao
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Chang, Kai-Chieh
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Hsu, Hsun-Hao
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Chiu, Tang-Yao
Phase separation under convection, related to the Marangoni instability, is critical in the development of advanced polymer processing technologies. The formation mechanisms of polymer patterns driven by the phase separation under convection, however, still require further investigations. In this work, we study the phase separation of polystyrene (PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bilayer films during the spin-coating processes. PMMA film-coated glass substrates are dripped by PS solutions in toluene before spinning. The concentration gradients of the PS solutions and the swollen PMMA films cause the surface tension-driven Marangoni instability; lateral phase separations also occur during the spin-coating processes, forming the interesting and uncommon radial linear patterns with nanoscale heights on the PS/PMMA bilayer films. By changing the solution waiting time and spin rates, the surface morphologies of the PS/PMMA bilayer films can be controlled. At longer waiting times, the higher degrees of swelling of the PMMA films by the solvents allow the formation of the polymer patterns; at higher spin-coating rates, the faster solvent evaporation improves the ordering of the polymer patterns. Furthermore, the morphologies of the PS/PMMA bilayer films can be confirmed using the selective removal technique; the PS films with linear-arranged cavities and the PMMA films with bumps can be obtained using acetic acid and cyclohexane, respectively. Finally, a proof of concept on the potentials in applying the cavities-containing PS films for nanoscale perforation lines is also demonstrated.
Rayleigh-Instability-Driven Morphology Transformation by Thermally Annealing Electrospun Polymer Fibers on Substrates
(1970-01-01)
Fan, Ping-Wen
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Chen, Wan-Ling
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Lee, Ting-Hsien
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
"Electrospinning has been widely used to prepare polymer fibers with diameters ranging from a few nanometers to micrometers. While most studies focus on controlling the sizes and morphologies of electrospun polymer fibers by changing electrospinning conditions, the effect of post-treatments such as thermal annealing on the properties of electrospun polymer fibers has been less studied. Here, we investigate the effect of thermal annealing on the morphology changes of electrospun polystyrene (PS) fibers on substrates. Different from annealing the fibers in a uniform environment, annealing the fibers on substrates results in a substrate-dependent morphology transformation. When the electrospun PS fibers are annealed on a glass substrate, wetting of the fibers on the glass substrate occurs. When the electrospun PS fibers are annealed on a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-coated substrate, a Rayleigh-instability-driven morphology transformation is observed. The polymer fibers transform into hemispherical polymer particles caused by the lower surface tension of PS than that of PMMA and the interfacial tension between PS and PMMA. This transformation process is influenced by the annealing time and temperature. The characteristic time of the transformation process is shorter when the sample is annealed at a higher temperature because of the lower polymer viscosity. The size of the polymer particles fits well with the theoretical prediction, which is dependent on the initial fiber diameter and is independent of the annealing temperature."
Rayleigh-instability-driven morphology transformation of electrospun polymer fibers imaged by in situ optical microscopy and stimulated Raman scattering microscopy
(2014-01-01)
Lee, Ting-Hsien
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Lai, Yu-Cheng
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Fan, Ping-Wen
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Kuo, Tyng-Yow
Electrospinning is one of the most common methods to prepare polymer fibers with sizes ranging from several nanometers to hundreds of micrometers. In most studies of electrospun polymer fibers, the properties and morphologies of polymer fibers are controlled by changing the electrospinning conditions. Few studies focus on the post-treatments of polymer fibers, which are critical for many fiber-based applications. In this work, we investigate the morphology transformation of electrospun polystyrene (PS) fibers annealed on top of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) film-coated glass substrates. In situ optical microscopy and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy are used to observe the transformation process, which is driven by the Rayleigh instability, the surface tensions, and the interfacial tensions of polymers. Depending on the thickness of the underlying PMMA films, the electrospun PS fibers may transform into hemispheres or disks. The growth rates of the undulating amplitude are also affected by the film thickness.
Sequential Selective Solvent On-Film Annealing: Fabrication of Monolayers of Ordered Anisotropic Polymer Particles
(2020-08-05)
Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Liang, Xiaobin
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Liu, Chih-Ting
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
;
Li, Jia-Wei
Although various strategies have been developed to prepare anisotropic polymeric particles, it remains challenging to fabricate monolayers of anisotropic polymeric particles, which can extend the applications of anisotropic particles. Here, we develop a novel and facile approach to fabricate monolayers of anisotropic polymeric particles. Monolayers of polystyrene (PS) microspheres with a mean diameter of 10 mu m are deposited on glass substrates coated with poly(methyl methacrylate) films, followed by sequential selective solvent on-film annealing processes. Monolayers of anisotropic polymeric particles, such as the snowman-like PS particles, are successfully fabricated. Such unique structures possess the long-range ordering of monolayers (the structure factor) and the anisotropic geometry of individual particles (the form factor). The nanomechanical properties of the PS particles are also characterized using atomic force microscopy force volume measurements, showing a decrease in the Young's moduli of the PS particles owing to the looser packing of the polymer chains. This work provides the most facile and versatile strategy by far to fabricate monolayers of ordered anisotropic polymeric particles, which arc inaccessible by other traditional means.
Snake Tracks in Polymer Land: Wavy Polymer Structures via Selective Solvent Vapor Annealing
(2020-08-25)
Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Weng, Chang-Ching
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Hsu, Hsun-Hao
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
Wavy patterns are interesting geometric patterns and commonly seen in nature, such as serpentine streams or snake tracks in the sand. Although many efforts have been devoted to fabricating artificial wavy structures, it remains a great challenge to obtain wavy structures with controllable curvatures and desired functional properties. Here, we present an unprecedented approach to generate wavy polymer structures by annealing electrospun core-shell fibers on polymer films. Polystyrene (PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) core-shell fibers, produced via the viscosity-induced phase separation in the electrospinning process, are annealed on PMMA films using vapors of acetic acid, a selective solvent for PMMA but not for PS. After the swollen PMMA chains of the PMMA shells are shed, the revealed PS cores start to buckle, driven by the elastic force from the strain release, forming the wavy structures. The degrees of the buckling, measured by the curvatures and the amplitudes of the wavy structures, are controlled by the annealing times. Furthermore, fluorescent properties are selectively introduced to the wavy structures using pyrene solutions or pyrene-containing vapors, demonstrating the potential application as fluorescent wavy materials.
Solvent-Induced Shape Recovery of Anisotropic Polymer Particles Prepared by a Modified Thermal Stretching Method
(2018-07-17)
Lo, Yu-Ching
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
;
Wu, Bo-Hao
;
Li, Jia-Wei
Anisotropic polymer particles have attracted great attention because of their unique properties and potential applications in various areas, such as microelectronics, drug delivery, and medical imaging. The fabrication and morphology control, especially the shape recovery, of anisotropic polymer particles, however, remains a challenging task. In this work, we develop a novel strategy to fabricate anisotropic polymer particles by thermally stretching poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films embedding polystyrene (PS) microspheres using a weight. Depending on the preannealing condition, anisotropic PS particles with two different shapes, sharp-headed and blunt-headed PS particles, can be obtained. The PVA films can be selectively removed by isopropanol/water, releasing the anisotropic PS particles. By adding tetrahydrofuran (THF), a good solvent for PS, into the PS particle-containing solutions, the anisotropic particles gradually transform back to spheres to reduce the total interfacial energies. The shape recovery rates of the polymer particles can be controlled by the amount of the added THF. This work not only provides a simple and feasible route to fabricate anisotropic polymer particles but also contributes to a deeper understanding in the solvent-induced shape recovery process from anisotropic polymer particles to polymer spheres.