Enhanced electrical properties of electrospun nylon66 nanofibers containing carbon nanotube fillers and Ag nanoparticles

In this study, we describe the preparation and characterization of electrospun Nylon66 composite nanofibers incorporated with carbon nanotubes (CNT) fillers and silver nanoparticles. We have incorporated the composites in to Nylon66 nanofibers to enhance the characteristics of the resultant composite nanofibers. The resultant composite nanofibers were characterized by using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and current-voltage (I–V) measurement analysis. The morphology of the composite nanofibers exhibited densely arranged mesh-like ultrafine nanofibers which were strongly bound in between the main fibers. From I–V characteristics, it was observed that the incorporation of CNT fillers and Ag nanoparticles in to electrospun Nylon66 composite nanofibers can be significantly enhanced the electrical properties.     

Electrospun grape seed polyphenols/gelatin composite fibers contained silver nanoparticles as biomaterials

GSP/gelatin composite nanofiber membranes containing silver nanoparticles were successfully fabricated as a novel biomaterial by electrospinning. The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized with the grape seed polyphenols (GSP) as reducing agent in aqueous solution of gelatin, and then the GSP/gelatin/AgNPs mixed solution was electrospun into nanofibers at 55 °C. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed that the composite fibers were uniform and the average fiber diameter ranged between 150 nm and 230 nm with an increase in applied potentials from 14 kV to 22 kV. And the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that silver nanoparticles distributed individually in the fibers with the average particle size of about 11 nm. Furthermore, the ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer (UV-vis spectroscopy) test demonstrated that all of Ag⁺ converted to Ag⁰ when the concentration of gelatin was 24 wt% and the mass ratio of GSP to AgNO₃ was about 5:2. The antibacterial activities of the fiber membranes against E.coli and S.aureus were measured via a shake flank test and demonstrated good performance after the importation of silver nanopaticles. Cytotoxicity testing also revealed that fiber membranes contained silver nanoparticles had no cyto-toxic. All the results indicated that the GSP was effective for the formation and stabilization of silver nanoparticles in composite nanofibers mats which had the potential for applications in antimicrobial tissue engineering and wound dressing.     

Preparation of ZnO nanoparticles and nanofibers and their use in the degradation of rhodamine B dye under UV irradiation

ZnO nanoparticles (ZNPs) were obtained via a direct calcining method. ZnO nanofibers (ZNFs) were fabricated by electrospinning polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and zinc acetate (Zn(Ac)₂) solution and calcining PAN/Zn(Ac)₂ nanofibers. The samples were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence spectra (PL) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The results showed that the sizes of the ZNPs ranged from 90–275 nm with the average value 170 nm. The ZNFs were constructed by a series of nanoparticles along the fiber axis, and the sizes of the nanoparticles ranged from 50–250 nm with the average size 150 nm. The ZNPs and the ZNFs were both crystallized with hexagonal wurtzite structure. Although the nanoparticles in the ZNFs accumulated along the fiber axis and more surface oxygen vacancies were formed for the ZNPs, the distance of photocatalytic activities between these two kinds of catalyst was only 5 %. Besides, both the ZNPs and the ZNFs could be recycled and reused for their stable photocatalytic activities. Compared with the ZNPs, the ZNFs showed a wider application for their fibrious morphology.     

Towards Well-aligned electrospun PAN/MWCNTs composite nanofibers: Design,fabrication, and development

A proper collector is designed and examined in electrospinning process to produce electrospun nanofibers with favored mechanical propertied. The quality of product was controlled by changing and optimizing the process variables, namely electrospinning time, gap distance, and collector rotating speed in a manner that well-aligned yarns were fabricated from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) dilute solutions. It was found that the tensile characteristics of fabricated yarns are greatly dependent on the process variables. Incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into the polymer solution revealed improvement to the yarn strength because of enhancement in alignment of the filaments. The state of fiber alignment and dispersion of MWCNTs were detected by means of scanning electron microscopy. It was illustrated that combination of nanofibers and microfibers gives PAN/MWCNTs composite nanofibers with high surface area and high porosity to satisfy sophisticated users.     

Synthesis,analysis and simulation of carbonized electrospun nanofibers infused carbon prepreg composites for improved mechanical and thermal properties

This paper reports the fabrication, characterization and simulation of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers into pre-impregnated (prepreg) carbon fiber composites for different industrial applications. The electrospun PAN nanofibers were stabilized in air at 270 °C for one hour and then carbonized at 950 °C in an inert atmosphere (argon) for another hour before placing on the prepreg composites as top layers. The prepreg carbon fibers and carbonized PAN nanofibers were cured together following the prepreg composite curing cycles. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was carried out to investigate the chemical compositions and elemental distribution of the carbonized PAN nanofibers. The EDX results revealed that the carbon weight % of approximately 66 (atomic % 72) was achieved in the PAN-derived carbon nanofibers along with nitrogen and lower amounts of nickel, oxygen and other impurities. Thermomechanical analysis (TMA) exhibited the glass transition regions in the prepreg nanocomposites and the significant dependence of coefficient of thermal expansion on the fiber directions. The highest value of coefficient of thermal expansion was observed in the temperature range of 118-139 °C (7.5×10^-8 1/°C) for 0 degree nanocomposite scheme. The highest value of coefficient of thermal expansion was observed in the temperature range of 50-80 °C (37.5×10^-6 1/°C) for 90 degree nanocomposite scheme. The test results were simulated using ANSYS software. The test results may be useful for the development of structural health monitoring of various composite materials for aircraft and wind turbine applications.     

The role of Na-montmorillonite on thermal characteristics and morphology of electrospun PAN nanofibers

Polymer organic-inorganic hybrid nanofibers constitute a new class of materials in which the polymeric nanofibers are reinforced by uniformly dispersed inorganic particles having at least one dimension in nanometer-scale. In the present study, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and PAN/Na-montmorillonite (PAN/Na-MMT) nanofibers were conducted via electrospinning process. Electrospun PAN and PAN/Na-MMT fibers with the respective mean fiber diameter of about 220 and 160 nm were prepared. The influence of the clay-montmorillonite on the morphology and diameter of nanofibers was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques. The microscopic techniques propose that the PAN/Na-MMT composite nanofibers show lower mean fiber diameter than the neat PAN nanofibers. Besides, the difference in nanoclay-content has a slight effect on the distribution of fibers diameter. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results suggest that introduction of clay-nanomaterials improves the thermal characteristics of fibers.     

Functional electrospun cellulosic nanofiber mats for antibacterial bandages

Functionalization of cellulosic nanofibers was established to develop antibacterial bandages. The functionalization was conducted through preparation of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) containing different metal nanoparticles (MNPs) such as copper nanoparticles (CuNPs), iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) and zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs). Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize CMC containing MNPs and scanning electron microscopy coupled with high energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) to study the surface morphology of CMC with and without MNPs. Furthermore, back scattering electron detector was used to show the position of metal nanoparticles on the microcrystalline CMC. In addition, UV-visible spectroscopy was used to confirm MNPs formation. Nanofiber mats of CMC containing MNPs were synthesized using electrospinning technique. Surface morphology of electrospun CMC containing MNPs was characterized using SEM. The obtained data revealed that elctrospun CMC nanofibers containing MNPs were smooth and uniformly distributed without bead formation. The average fiber diameters were in the range of 150 to 200 nm and the presence of MNPs in the nanofiber did not affect the size of the electrospun nanofiber diameter. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images displayed that MNPs were existed inside and over the surface of the electrospun nanofibers without any agglomeration. The average particle diameters of MNPs were 29-39 nm for ZnNPs, 23-27 nm for CuNPs and 22-26 nm for FeNPs. Moreover, Water uptake of electrospun nanofiber mats and the release of MNPs from nanofibers were evaluated. Nevertheless, electrospun CMC nanofibers containing MNPs had an excellent antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.     

Composites of polyvinyl alcohol and carbon nanotubes decorated with silver nanoparticles

A simple method to decorate carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with silver nanoparticles was developed to enhance the electrical conductivity of CNTs. The acid-treated CNTs were suspended in the silver acetate solution, ammonia solution was then added, and the CNTs decorated with silver nanoparticles (Ag@CNTs) were produced. The Ag@CNTs were dispersed in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to fabricate electrically conducting polymer composites. The electrical, thermal and mechanical properties of the composites were measured. The electrical conductivity of the composites containing 0.8 % (o.w.f.) Ag@CNTs was more than four orders of magnitude higher than those of pristine and functionalized CNTs respectively, which confirmed the effectiveness of the Ag@CNTs as conducting filler. However, the improved electrical conductivity led to somewhat decrease of mechanical properties of PVA/Ag@CNTs composites.     

Influences of organic-modified Fe-montmorillonite on structure, morphology and properties of polyacrylonitrile nanocomposite fibers

The Fe-montmorillonite (Fe-MMT) combined catalysis effects of Fe ion with barrier effects of silicate clays, was firstly synthesized by hydrothermal method, and then was modified by cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The organic-modified Fe-montmorillonite (Fe-OMT) was dispersed in the N, N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) and then compounded with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) solution which was dissolved in DMF. The composite solutions were electrospun to form PAN/Fe-OMT nanocomposite fibers. The influences of the Fe-OMT on the structure, morphology, thermal, flammability and mechanical properties of PAN nanocomposite fibers were respectively characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), Micro Combustion Calorimeter (MCC) and Electronic Single Yarn Strength Tester. It was found from XRD curves that there was not observable diffraction peak of silicate clay, indicating that the silicate clay layers were well dispersed within the PAN nanofibers. The HRTEM image indicated that the multilayer stacks of nanoclays could be found within the nanofibers and were aligned almost along the axis of the nanofibers. The SEM images showed that the diameters of nanocomposite fibers were decreased with the loading of the Fe-OMT. The TGA analyses revealed that the onset temperature of thermal degradation and charred residue at 700°C of PAN nanocomposite fibers were notably increased compared with the pure PAN nanofibers, contributing to the improved thermal stability properties. It was also observed from MCC analyses that the decreased peak of heat release rate (PHRR) of the PAN nanocomposite fibers reduced the flammability properties. The loadings of Fe-OMT increased the tensile strength of PAN nanocomposite fibers, but the elongation at break of PAN nanocomposite fibers was lower than that of the PAN nanofibers.     

Investigation on the Biodegradability and Antibacterial Properties of Nanohybrid Suture Based on Silver Incorporated PGA-PLGA Nanofibers

Polyglycolic acid-poly lactic glycolic acid (PGA-PLGA) electrospun nanofibers containing silver nanoparticles have been produced and twisted into the nanofibrous yarn. The morphology of nanofibers and produced yarns, as well as the mechanical properties of the yarns, were investigated. Furthermore, in vitro antibacterial properties and in vitro degradation behavior of yarns containing various silver nanoparticles were studied. SEM images confirmed that the addition of the silver nanoparticles into the polymer solution increases the fiber diameters. The result of the mechanical test of the yarns alone and used in two different forms of the knots was measured and results showed that the strength of the yarns without the knot was significantly more than that of others. The biodegradability test showed that the mechanical properties and the weight of the yarns were quickly reduced after subjecting to in vitro condition. The result of the antibacterial test indicated that the nanofiber yarns containing %3 silver nanoparticles were the most appropriate sample with a considerably antibacterial activity against both gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative bacterium Escherichia Coli with inhibition zones of 8.1 and 9.5 mm, respectively; which demonstrated that silver nanoparticles retained their effectiveness after the electrospinning process. Therefore the nanofibrous yarns containing silver nanoparticles could be successfully produced by the electrospinning process with the proper antibacterial property as a candidate for the surgical sutures.     

Antimicrobial gelatin nanofibers containing silver nanoparticles

Gelatin is one of the most promising biomaterials due to its excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. In order to improve the antimicrobial activity of gelatin, gelatin nanofibers containing silver nanoparticles were prepared by electrospinning gelatin/AgNO₃/formic acid system, followed by UV irradiation. They were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. It was observed that the silver nanoparticles, which presented quasi-sphere shaped and 9–20 nm average diameters, were generated on the surface of the gelatin nanofibers. The size of the silver particles can be adjusted by changing the content of AgNO₃. With increasing the amount of AgNO₃, the average diameters of fibers decreased. The gelatin-Ag nanocomposites were found effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From these results, it is expected that the electrospun antimicrobial gelatin nanofiber mat can be used as an excellent wound dressing.     

Highly conductive cellulosic nanofibers for efficient water desalination

Electrically conducting nanofibers based on cellulosic materials offer cheap and safe class of materials that can be used for water desalination. In the present work, high conducting cellulose triacetate (CTA) nanofibers containing multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with very low percolation threshold concentration (0.014 wt%) were produced by electrospinning. Unprecedentedly, a hydrophilic ionic liquid consists of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) was used to dissolve CTA producing a solution of 10 wt%. This CTA solution was used to engineer both bare CTA nanofibers and CTA nanofibers impregnated with MWCNT. The fabricated nanofibers were characterized by the field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Both FE-SEM and HR-TEM images showed that the MWCNTs were inserted and uniformly distributed inside electrospun nanofibers. Furthermore, mechanical properties such as tensile strength of MWCNTs loaded-CTA electrospun nanofibers was significantly improved by up to 280 % and 270 % for the Young modulus, when compared with the bare CTA fibers. In addition, the surface properties as the hydrophilicity of electrospun nanofibers membrane was enhanced due to the presence of MWCNTs. Moreover, the electrical conductivity of MWCNT loaded-CTA electrospun nanofibers was greatly enhanced after the implementation of the MWCNTs inside the CTA fiber. The performance of composite nanofiber for water desalination was examined in a lab-scale classic capacitive deionization (CDI) unit, at different concentrations of salt. The obtained data revealed that the electro-adsorption of anions and cations on the surface of MWCNTs loaded-CTA electrospun nanofibers electrodes were monitored with time and their concentration were decreased progressively with time and reaches equilibrium.     

Preparation of inorganic silica nanofibers containing silver nanoparticles

Silica nanofibers containing silver nanoparticles were successfully prepared using sol-gel chemistry and electro-spinning technique. Solution of tetraethly orthosilicate in ethanol containing silver nitrate was aged to have sufficient viscosity and electrospun to form nanofibers. Upon thermal treatment, the gelation reaction between silanols was completed in the prepared silica nanofibers, and at the same time, silver ions in the nanofiber changed to metallic silver or silver oxides. The reduction of silver ions could be also achieved by UV irradiation, and the generated silver nanoparticles were present preferentially on the surface of the silica nanofibers. On testing release behavior of silver ions, it was found that most of silver remained in the silica nanofiber. The silica nanofibers containing silver nanoparticles exhibited excellent antibacterial and deodorant properties.     

Surface modification of polyester fibers by thermal reduction with silver carbamate complexes

In this study, the surface of polyester fiber was modified by means of thermal treatment with a silver carbamate complex. We used scanning electron microscopy (SEM), an X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to allow a detailed characterization of the silver-coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers. The results revealed remarkable changes in the surface morphology and microstructure of the silver film after thermal reduction. On SEM, the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were seen to be uniformly and densely deposited on the fiber surface. The XRD pattern of the silver-coated fiber indicated that the film has a crystalline structure. A continuous layer of AgNPs, between 30 and 100 nm in size, was assembled on the PET fibers. The PET/Ag composite was found to impart high conductivity to the fibers, with an electrical resistivity as low as 0.12 kΩ·cm.     

The reinforcement effect of carbon fiber on the friction and wear properties of carbon fiber reinforced PA6 composites

The tribological performance of PA6 and carbon fiber reinforced polyamide 6 (CF/PA6) under dry sliding condition was examined. Different contents of carbon fibers were employed as reinforcement. All filled and unfilled polyamide 6 composites were tested against CGr15 ball and representative testing was performed. The effects of carbon fiber content on tribological properties of the composites were investigated. The worn surface morphologies of neat PA6 and its composites were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the wear mechanisms were discussed. Moreover, all filled polyamide 6 have superior tribological characteristics to unfilled polyamides 6. The optimum wear reduction was obtained when the content of carbon fiber is 20 vol%.     

Preparation of aminated polyacrylonitrile porous fiber mat and its Application for Cr(VI) ion removal

Porous polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber mat was prepared by electrospinning PAN in N,N-dimethylformide solution with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as pore-forming agent. Then, the porous PAN fiber mat was chemical modified by the tetraethylenepentamine to acquire aminated porous polyacrylonitrile (APPAN) fiber mat. Common aminated PAN fiber mat was also prepared for comparison. The surface morphologies of the APPAN and PAN fiber mat were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the corresponding specific surface areas were also measured. FT-IR/ATR spectra of the APPAN and PAN fiber mat were recorded for analysis of the surface chemical structures. The Cr(VI) absorption results demonstrated that the porous structure in the fiber could obviously increase the absorption capacity of the fiber mat.     

Surface modified ployacrylonitrile nanofibers and application for metal ions chelation

Ployacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were formed by electrospinning. Amidoxime ployacrylonitrile (AOPAN) nanofibers were prepared by reaction with hydroxylamine hydrochloride, which were used as the matrix for metal ions chelation. FTIR spectra of the PAN nanofibers and AOPAN nanofibers were recorded for analysis of the surface chemical structures. The AOPAN conventional fibers were also prepared for comparison, and surface morphologies of the modified PAN conventional fibers and PAN nanofibers were observed by FESEM. Metal ions concentrations were calculated by AAS. The chelated isothermal process and kinetics parameters of the modified PAN nanofibers and PAN conventional fibers were studied in this work. Results indicated that the saturated coordinate capacity of AOPAN nanofibers to Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺ was 3.4482 and 4.5408 mmol/g (dry fiber) respectively, nearly two times higher than that of AOPAN conventional fibers. Besides, the desorption rate of Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ from metal chelated AOPAN nanofibers was 87 and 92 % respectively in 1 mol/l nitric acid solution for 60 min. The isothermal processes were found to be in conformity with Langmuir model.     

The addition of carbon fiber on the tribological properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride) composites

The current study examines the tribological performance of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and carbon fiber reinforced PVDF (CF/PVDF) under dry sliding condition. Different contents of carbon fibers were employed as reinforcement. All filled and unfilled polyimide composites were tested against CGr15 ball and representative testing was performed. The effects of carbon fiber content on tribological properties of the composites were investigated. The worn surface morphologies of neat PVDF and its composites were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the wear mechanisms were discussed. Moreover, all filled PVDFs have superior tribological characteristics to unfilled PVDFs. The optimum wear reduction was obtained when the content of carbon fiber is 20 vol %.     

Effects of ferric chloride on structure, surface morphology and combustion property of electrospun polyacrylonitrile composite nanofibers

In this work, the pure polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers and PAN/FeCl₃ composite nanofibers were prepared by an electrospinning process. Electrospinning solution properties including viscosity, surface tension and conductivity, had been measured and combined with the results of Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Atomic force microscope (AFM) and Micro Combustion Calorimeter (MCC) to investigate the effects of FeCl₃ on the structure, surface morphology and combustion property of electrospun PAN nanofibers, respectively. It was found from SEM images that the diameters of composite nanofibers were decreased with the addition of FeCl₃, which was attributed predominantly to the increased conductivity of the polymer solutions compared to viscosity and surface tension. The AFM analyses revealed that the surface morphology of electrospun nanofibers changed from smooth and wrinkle-like structure (without FeCl₃) to rough and ridge-like structure (with FeCl₃). The results characterized by MCC showed that the loading of FeCl₃ decreased the heat release rate (HRR) and improved the combustion property of composite nanofibers.     

Highly stable coated polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers prepared using modified coaxial electrospinning

Hydrophobic polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofibers, which is intensely hygroscopic, has been successfully prepared to improve their moisture resistance using a modified coaxial electrospinning process. A stearic acid (SA) solution was exploited as the sheath fluid to coat the fibers. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the SA-coated PVP nanofibers became increasingly small with a rise in the sheath-to-core flow rate ratio; continuing to increase the sheath flow rate beyond a cut-off point resulted in nanofibres with very complicated morphologies. Transmission electron microscope images showed that SA formed a thin layer on the PVP nanofibers, with SA nanoparticles present on the fiber surfaces when a sheath-to-core flow rate ratio of 0.2:0.8 was used. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy verified the coating of SA onto the PVP nanofibers, and also the formation of hydrogen bonds between the SA and PVP molecules. The SA-coated PVP nanofibers were found to have much enhanced moisture resistance over pure PVP fibers. Modified coaxial electrospinning hence comprises a novel and powerful strategy for nanocoating and surface modification of polymer nanofibers.