LaOCl nanofibers derived from electrospun PVA/Lanthanum chloride composite fibers

Electrospun nanofibers of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/Lanthanum (Ш) chloride (LaCl₃) composite were employed to prepare the LaOCl nanofibers by calcination. TG-DSC was used to investigate the thermal property of precursor, while FT-IR, XRD, FESEM and TPD were employed to characterize the derived LaOCl nanofibers. Results indicate that the addition of LaCl₃ leads to the formation of fork segments in the structure of electrospun PVA/LaCl₃ composite nanofibers, therefore, changing the decomposition behavior of the fibers. Pure LaOCl fibers with a diameter range of 90-220 nm can be obtained by calcination of electrospun PVA/LaCl₃ composite nanofibers at 700 °C for 7 h. The resultant LaOCl nanofibers show a good sensing behavior for CO₂ gas.