Electrospinning and crosslinking of zein nanofiber mats

Electrospinning processing can be applied to fabricate fibrous polymer mats composed of fibers whose diameters range from several microns down to 100 nm or less. In this article, we describe how electrospinning was used to produce zein nanofiber mats and combined with crosslinking to improve the mechanical properties of the as‐spun mats. Aqueous ethanol solutions of zein were electrospun, and nanoparticles, nanofiber mats, or ribbonlike nanofiber mats were obtained. The effects of the electrospinning solvent and zein concentration on the morphology of the as‐spun nanofiber mats were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the morphologies of the electrospun products exhibited a zein‐dependent concentration. Optimizing conditions for zein produced nanofibers with a diameter of about 500 nm with fewer beads or ribbonlike nanofibers with a diameter of approximately 1–6 μm. Zein nanofiber mats were crosslinked by hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). The tensile strength of the crosslinked electrospun zein nanofiber mats was increased significantly. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103:380–385, 2007     

Interior synthesizing of ZnO nanoflakes inside nylon‐6 electrospun nanofibers

Doping of the polymeric electrospun nanofibers by metal oxides nanoparticles is usually performed by electrospinning of a colloidal solution containing the metal oxide nanoparticles. Besides the economical aspects, electrospinning of colloids is not efficient compared with spinning of sol–gels, moreover well attachment of the solid nanoparticles is not guaranteed. In this study, reduction of zinc acetate could be performed inside the nylon‐6 electrospun nanofibers; so polymeric nanofibers embedding ZnO nanoflakes were obtained. Typically, zinc acetate/nylon‐6 electrospun nanofibers were treated hydrothermally at 150°C for 1 h. Besides the utilized characterization techniques, PL study affirmed formation of ZnO. The produced nanofibers showed a good antibacterial activity which improves with increasing ZnO content. Overall, the present study opens new avenue to synthesize hybrid nanofibers by a facile procedure. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Spider-net within the N6, PVA and PU electrospun nanofiber mats using salt addition: Novel strategy in the electrospinning process

Electrospun nanofibers are promising candidates in the nanotechnological applications due to the advantages of the nanofibrous morphology. Therefore, many attempts were reported to modify the electrospun mats to gain more beneficial properties. In the present study, we are introducing a strategy to synthesize electrospun polymeric nanofiber mats containing spider-net binding the main nanofibers. Addition with long stirring time of a metallic salt having tendency to ionize rather than formation of sol–gel in the host polymer solution reveals to synthesize a spider-net within the electrospun nanofibers of the utilized polymer. Nylon6, polyurethane and poly(vinyl alcohol) have been utilized; NaCl, KBr, CaCl₂ and H₂PtCl₆ have been added to the polymeric solutions. In the case of nylon6 and poly(vinyl alcohol), addition of the inorganic salts resulted in the formation of multi-layers spider-network within the electrospun nanofibers mats. The synthesized spider-nets were almost independent on the nature of the salt; the optimum salt concentration was 1.5 wt%. The metallic acid led to form trivial spider-nets within both of nylon6 and poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers. In a case of polyurethane, few spider-nets were formed after salt addition due to the low polarity of the utilized solvents. According to TEM analysis, the synthesized spider-net consisted of joints; the later issued from the main nanofibers at Taylor's cone zone. The spider-net improved the mechanical properties and the wetability of the nylon6 nanofiber mats, accordingly a mat having amphiphilic feature has been prepared.     

Novel electrospun nanofiber mats as effective catalysts for water photosplitting

Two novel photocatalysts based on ceramic materials for hydrogen production from water splitting under the solar radiation are introduced. CdS-doped and CdS–PdS-doped poly(vinyl acetate) electrospun nanofiber mats reveal good activity toward water photosplitting. The efficient ceramic nanoparticles were in situ synthesized in the polymer solution which was subjected to the electrospinning process. CdS–PdS-doped poly(vinyl acetate) nanofibers produce more hydrogen compared to the naked CdS NPs. Immobilization of the CdS and CdS–PdS nanoparticles inside the polymer nanofibers is an effective strategy to overcome the photocorrosion and toxicity problems of the CdS-based materials.     

Preparation and characterization of electrospun poly(ε‐caprolactone)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) nanofiber composites containing silver particles

A nanofiber membrane composed of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), and silver nanoparticles was prepared via electrospinning technique. The morphology and structure of the PCL/PVP/Ag nanofibers composite were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The SEM images showed that various composites of PCL/PVP/Ag could be electrospun to yield continuous and uniform nanofibers. FTIR spectra indicated that the molecular interactions between PCL and PVP are weak. The hydrophilicity, mechanical property, and swelling behavior of the as‐spun composites can be manipulated by altering the blend ratio of PCL/PVP. XRD patterns and XPS spectra showed that the Ag nanoparticles were dispersed in the PCL/PVP nanofiber composites; and the Ag nanoparticles endowed the PCL/PVP/Ag composite with antibacterial activities. The obtained PCL/PVP/Ag nanofiber composites with the morphology similar to that of native extracellular matrix have the potential to create a moist environment and to kill bacteria, which make it possible to be used for wound dressing application. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2847–2854, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Slow release of levofloxacin conjugated on silica nanoparticles from poly(ɛ-caprolactone) nanofibers

Composite levofloxacin (LVF)/nanofibers have been fabricated through electrospinning. Slow release was achieved by covalently binding LVF to mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) through a cleavable thioester bond and then blending the MSN into poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers. Conjugated LVF–MSN was characterized by FTIR, DSC, TGA, and solid-state C¹³ NMR. The structure of composite nanofibers was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Drug release profiles showed that burst release was decreased from 59% in the uniform PCL/LVF electrospun mats to 20% in the PCL/conjugated LVF–MSN mats after 1 day in phosphate buffer at 37°C, and gradual release in the latter was observed over the next 13 days. This slow release is due to the cleavable bond between LVF and MSN that can be hydrolyzed over a time and results in slow release of LVF. The results indicate that confining drug-conjugated MSN into nanofibers are effective ways to slow down the burst release of the drug.     

Enhancement of heavy metal ion adsorption using electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers loaded with ZnO nanoparticles

This article describes the adsorption and tensile behavior of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber mats loaded with different amounts of ZnO [0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 wt%] nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforminfrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) were utilized to characterize the resulting composite nanofibers. Microscopic investigations revealed that the increase in surface roughness and diameter of the electrospun PAN nanofibers was due to the addition of ZnO nanoparticles. Adsorption results indicated that the fabricated PAN/ZnO (2.0 wt%) composite nanofiber mats showed the best adsorption performance with 261% and 167% increase in adsorption capacities for Pb(II) and Cd(II) from aqueous solutions, respectively, compared to pristine PAN nanofibers. The adsorption equilibrium was reached within 60 min, and the process could be described using the nonlinear pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption isotherm study was better represented by the Langmuir model, which suggested a homogeneous distribution of the monolayer adsorptive sites on the surface of the composite nanofibers. Mechanical testing revealed that the decrease in tensile strength and elongation at breakof the PAN/ZnO composite nanofiber mats was due to the formation of some bead defects and agglomerates within the structure of the PAN nanofibers. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47209.     

Antibacterial activity of photocatalytic electrospun titania nanofiber mats and solution-blown soy protein nanofiber mats decorated with silver nanoparticles

Highly porous photocatalytic titania nanoparticle decorated nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning nylon 6 nanofibers onto flexible substrates and electrospraying TiO₂ nanoparticles onto them. Film morphology and crystalline phase were measured by SEM and XRD. The titania films showed excellent photokilling capabilities against E. coli colonies and photodegradation of methylene blue under moderately weak UV exposure (≤ 0.6 mW/cm² on a 15-cm illumination distance). In addition, solution blowing was used to form soy protein-containing nanofibers which were decorated with silver nanoparticles. These nanofibers demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against E. coli colonies without exposure to UV light. The nano-textured materials developed in this work can find economically viable applications in water purification technology and in biotechnology. The two methods of nanofiber production employed in this work differ in their rate with electrospinning being much slower than the solution blowing. The electrospun nanofiber mats are denser than the solution-blown ones due to a smaller inter-fiber pore size. The antibacterial activity of the two materials produced (electrospun titania nanoparticle decorated nanofibers and silver-nanoparticle-decorated solution-blown nanofibers) are complimentary, as the materials can be effective with and without UV light, respectively.     

Preparation of the chitosan containing nanofibers by electrospinning chitosan–gelatin complexes

Electrospinning is an interesting technique, which provides a facile and an effective mean in producing nonwoven fibrous materials; however, for producing nanofibers, investigation of the electrospinning conditions is very important. In this study, chitosan, gelatin, and their polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) were electrospun to prepare nonwoven nanofibrous mats. The concentrations of chitosan and gelatin solutions and electric field (kV/cm) were optimized. The solutions were then blended in different ratios (0–100%) to get electrospun nanofibrous mats. Solution concentration and electric field showed pronounced effect on the electrospinnability and fiber diameter of these systems. Mostly large beads coexisted with the fibers were observed for chitosan at 1 wt% solution concentration, which then showed good electrospinnability at 2 wt% (nanofiber diameter was 145 and 122 nm at 15 and 20 kV/10 cm, respectively), whereas gelatin showed no electrospinnability below 15 wt% solution concentration and a homogenous fibers network at 15 wt% (149 nm at 20 kV/10 cm). The morphology and diameter of chitosan–gelatin PEC nanofibers varied with the chitosan/gelatin ratio. The crystallinity of chitosan was also observed to reduce with electrospinning and addition of gelatin. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 50:1887–1893, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Preparation of antimicrobial poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) electrospun nanofibers containing silver‐loaded zirconium phosphate nanoparticles

Antimicrobial nanofibers of poly(?‐caprolactone) (PCL) were prepared by electrospinning of a PCL solution with small amounts of silver‐loaded zirconium phosphate nanoparticles (nanoAgZ) for potential use in wound dressing applications. The electrospun nanoAgZ‐containing PCL nanofibers were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectrum (EDX), X‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD), antimicrobial tests, and biocompatibility tests. The SEM, EDX, and XRD investigations of the electrospun fibers confirmed that silver‐containing nanoparticles were incorporated and well dispersed in smooth and beadless PCL nanofibers. The results of the antimicrobial tests showed that these fibers have maintained the strong killing abilities of Ag⁺ existed in the nanoAgZ against the tested bacteria strains and discoloration has not been observed for the nanofibers. To test the biocompatibility of nanofibers as potential wound dressings, primary human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) were cultured on the nanofibrous mats. The cultured cells were evaluated in terms of cell proliferation and morphology. The results indicated that the cells attached and proliferated as continuous layers on the nanoAgZ‐containing nanofibers and maintained the healthy morphology of HDFs. The earlier results suggested that nanoAgZ‐containing fibers may be expected to be a novel material for potential wound dressing applications because of the significant bacteriostatic activities and good biocompatibility. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Self synthesize of silver nanoparticles in/on polyurethane nanofibers: Nano‐biotechnological approach

In this study, we are introducing a new class of Polyurethane (PU) nanofibers containing silver nanoparticles (NPs) by electrospinning. A simple method not depending on the addition of foreign chemicals has been used to self‐synthesize of silver NPs in/on PU nanofibers. Typically, a sol?gel consisting of AgNO₃/PU/N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) has been electrospun and aged for a week, so silver NPs have been created in/on PU nanofibers. Syntheses of silver NPs were carried out by exploiting the reduction ability of the DMF solvent which is the main constituent to obtain PU electrospun nanofibers in decomposition of silver nitrate precursor into silver NPs. Physiochemical characterizations confirmed well oriented nanofibers and good dispersing of pure silver NPs. Various parameters affecting utilizing of the prepared nanofibers on various nano‐biotechnological fields have been studied. For instance, the obtained nanofiber mats were checked for mechanical properties which showed the improvement of the tensile strength upon increase in silver NPs content. Moreover, the nanofibers were subjected to 10 times successive washing experiments with using solid to liquid ratio of 3 : 5000 for 25 h, UV spectroscopy analysis reveals no losses of silver NPs from the PU nanofibers. 3T3‐L1 fibroblasts were cultured in presence of the designed nanofibers. The morphological features of the cells attached on nanofibers were examined by BIO‐SEM, which showed well attachment of cells to fibrous mats. The cytotoxicity results indicated absence of toxic effect on the 3T3‐L1 cells after cell culturing. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Multilayered Electrospun/Electrosprayed Polyvinylidene Fluoride+Zinc Oxide Nanofiber Mats with Enhanced Piezoelectricity

Electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers have been widely used in the fabrication of flexible piezoelectric sensors and nanogenerators, due to their excellent mechanical properties. However, their relatively low piezoelectricity is still a critical issue. Herein, a new and effective route to enhance the piezoelectricity of PVDF nanofiber mats by electrospraying zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles between layers of PVDF nanofibers is demonstrated. As compared to the conventional way of dispersing ZnO nanoparticles into PVDF solution for electrospinning nanofiber mats, this approach results in multilayered PVDF+ZnO nanofiber mats with significantly increased piezoelectricity. For example, 6.2 times higher output is achieved when 100% of ZnO (relative to PVDF quantity) is electrosprayed between PVDF nanofibers. Moreover, this new method enables higher loading of ZnO without having processing challenges and the maximum peak voltage of ≈3 V is achieved, when ZnO content increases up to 150%. Additionally, it is shown that the samples with equal amount of material but consisting of different number of layers have no significant difference. This work demonstrates that the proposed multilayer design provides an alternative strategy to enhance the piezoelectricity of PVDF nanofibers, which can be readily scaled up for mass production.     

A novel approach to fabricate silk nanofibers containing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles using a three-way stopcock connector

Electrospinning technique is commonly used to produce micro- and/or nanofibers, which utilizes electrical forces to produce polymeric fibers with diameters ranging from several micrometers down to few nanometers. Desirably, electrospun materials provide highly porous structure and appropriate pore size for initial cell attachment and proliferation and thereby enable the exchange of nutrients. Composite nanofibers consisting of silk and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HAp) (NPs) had been considered as an excellent choice due to their efficient biocompatibility and bone-mimicking properties. To prepare these nanofiber composites, it requires the use of acidic solutions which have serious consequences on the nature of both silk and HAp NPs. It is ideal to create these nanofibers using aqueous solutions in which the physicochemical nature of both materials can be retained. However, to create those nanofibers is often difficult to obtain because of the fact that aqueous solutions of silk and HAp NPs can precipitate before they can be ejected into fibers during the electrospinning process. In this work, we had successfully used a three-way stopcock connector to mix the two different solutions, and very shortly, this solution is ejected out to form nanofibers due to electric fields. Different blend ratios consisting HAp NPs had been electrospun into nanofibers. The physicochemical aspects of fabricated nanofiber had been characterized by different state of techniques like that of FE-SEM, EDS, TEM, TEM-EDS, TGA, FT-IR, and XRD. These characterization techniques revealed that HAp NPs can be easily introduced in silk nanofibers using a stopcock connector, and this method favorably preserves the intact nature of silk fibroin and HAp NPs. Moreover, nanofibers obtained by this strategy were tested for cell toxicity and cell attachment studies using NIH 3 T3 fibroblasts which indicated non-toxic behavior and good attachment of cells upon incubation in the presence of nanofibers.     

Chain conformation,crystallization behavior,electrical and mechanical properties of electrospun polymer-carbon nanotube hybrid nanofibers with different orientations

An improved electrospinning technique was used to produce poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and PEO-multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) hybrid nanofibers. By this technique, both the orientation of MWCNTs in the electrospun PEO nanofibers and the orientation of electrospun PEO–MWCNT hybrid nanofibers can be controlled. The morphologies of the as-spun PEO–MWCNT hybrid nanofibers and the dispersion and orientation of MWCNTs in the fiber matrix were observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The effect of electrospinning process and the incorporation of MWCNTs on the chain conformation and semicrystalline framework of PEO were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry, and compared with pure PEO and PEO–MWCNT films prepared by casting. Finally, to investigate how the fiber assemblies affect the mechanical and electrical properties of the hybrid materials, tensile testing and impedance analysis were performed on randomly oriented, uniaxially and biaxially oriented PEO–MWCNT hybrid nanofiber mats. The results indicated that both the uniaxially and biaxially oriented assembled hybrid materials have better tensile strength, modulus, and electrical conductivity compared with random nanofibers.     

Poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(m-anthranilic acid) and poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) electrospun nanofibers: Characterization,antioxidant, and electrochemical properties

Conducting polymers are widely used in many biomedical applications, but their non-degradability and non-biocompatibility limit their widespread use in applications. For this reason, many studies have been carried out on the developing degradable, biocompatible, and electrically conductive polymers. In this study, mixtures of conductive polymers (poly(m-antranilic acid) (P3ANA) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)) with biocompatible and biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) were prepared. Their nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning and their antioxidant properties were investigated by 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and copper ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) assays. Electrochemical properties were also investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The highest antioxidant activity was obtained from PCL/P3ANA3 electrospun nanofiber containing 10% (of PCL w/w) P3ANA with 93 and 614 μg TE/mg values for ABTS and CUPRAC assays, respectively. This nanofiber was found to be non-toxic according to 2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) analysis. PCL/PEDOT:PSS electrospun nanofiber has the highest maximum anodic current value of 0.08 mA. The maximum anodic current value of PCL/P3ANA3 nanofiber with the highest amount of P3ANA is also higher than other PCL/P3ANA nanofibers. These nanofibers were characterized by FT-IR, UV–vis., XRD and TGA and their surface morphologies were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).     

Fabrication of Core/Shell Nanofibers with Desirable Mechanical and Antibacterial Properties by Pickering Emulsion Electrospinning

To endow nanofibers with the desirable antibacterial and mechanical properties, a facile strategy using Pickering emulsion (PE) electrospinning is proposed to prepare functional nanofibers with core/shell structure for the first time. The water‐in‐oil (W/O) Pickering emulsion stabilized by oleic acid (OA)‐coated magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles (OA‐MIONs) is comprised of aqueous vancomycin hydrochloride (Van) solution and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) solution. The core/shell structure of the electrospun Van/OA‐MIONs‐PLA nanofibers is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observation. Sustained release of Van from the PE electrospun nanofiber membrane is achieved within the time of 600 h. Compared with the neat PLA electrospun nanofiber membrane, 57% increase of tensile strength and 36% elevation of elongation at break are achieved on PE electrospun nanofiber membrane. In addition, the PE electrospun nanofiber membrane demonstrates excellent antibacterial property stemming from the combinational antibacterial activities of OA‐MIONs and Van. The Van‐loaded PE electrospinning nanofibers with sustained antibacterial performance possess potential applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery.

     

Effect of air blowing on the morphology and nanofiber properties of blowing‐assisted electrospun polycarbonates

Polycarbonate (PC) nanofibers are prepared using the air blowing‐assisted electrospinning process. The effects of air blowing pressure and PC solution concentration on the physical properties of fibers and the filtration performance of the nanofiber web are investigated. The air blowing‐assisted electrospinning process produces fewer beads and smaller nanofiber diameters compared with those obtained without air blowing. Uniform PC nanofibers with an average fiber diameter of about 0.170 μm are obtained using an applied voltage of 40 kV, an air blowing pressure of 0.3 MPa, a PC solution concentration of 16%, and a tip‐to‐collection‐screen distance (TCD) of 25 cm. The filtration efficiency improvement of the air blowing‐assisted electrospun web can be attributed to the narrow distribution of fiber diameter and small mean flow pore size of the electrospun web. Performance results show that the air blowing‐assisted electrospinning process can be applied to produce PC nanofiber mats with high‐quality filtration. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Magnetic silk fibroin composite nanofibers for biomedical applications: Fabrication and evaluation of the chemical,thermal, mechanical,and in vitro biological properties

Magnetically responsive polymer composites have great potential for use in diverse biomedical applications. In this study, composite biomaterials consisting of silk fibroin (SF) and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were fabricated by the electrospinning method. Two different methods were employed to incorporate the SPIONs into the SF nanofibers. In the first encapsulation method (M1), SPIONs (1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 wt%) were initially included in the electrospinning solution. In the second dip-coating method (M2), electrospun SF nanofiber mats were immersed in the aqueous suspensions of SPIONs (10, 30 and 50% v/v). Then, the pure and composite silk fibroin composite mats were comparatively evaluated for their morphological, chemical, magnetic, mechanical and in vitro biological properties, by using a number of methods including SEM, TEM, FTIR, XRD, EDS, VSM, TGA, mechanical tensile tests, as well as by indirect in vitro cytotoxicity and in vitro hemocompatibility analyses. Overall findings suggested that, while M1 nanofiber mats could be a suitable candidate for use in tissue engineering as a magnetically responsive cytocompatible scaffold, the M2 nanofiber mats perhaps could be more appropriate as an interface for triggering the in vitro stem cell differentiation and/or biosensor applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48040.     

Photoluminescent electrospun polymeric nanofibers incorporating germanium nanocrystals

The photoluminescent germanium nanocrystals (Ge-NCs) were successfully incorporated into electrospun polymeric nanofiber matrix in order to develop photoluminescent nanofibrous composite web. In the first step, the synthesis of Ge-NCs was achieved by nanosecond pulsed laser ablation of bulk germanium wafer immersed in organic liquid. The size, the structural and the chemical characteristics of Ge-NCs investigated by TEM, XPS, XRD and Raman spectroscopy revealed that the Ge-NCs were highly pure and highly crystalline having spherical shape within 3–20 nm particle size distribution. In the second step, Ge-NCs were mixed with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer solution, and then, Ge-NC/PVA nanofibers were obtained via electrospinning technique. The electrospinning of Ge-NCs/PVA nanoweb composite structure was successful and bead-free Ge-NCs/PVA nanofibers having average fiber diameter of 185 ± 40 nm were obtained. The STEM analysis of the electrospun Ge-NCs/PVA nanofibers elucidated that the Ge-NCs were distributed homogeneously in the polymeric nanofiber matrix. The UV–Vis absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy studies indicated the quantum confinement effect of Ge-NCs on the optical properties of the electrospun Ge-NCs/PVA nanoweb.     

Acrylonitrile/vinyl acetate copolymer nanofibers with different vinylacetate content

In this study, free radical copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN)–vinyl acetate (VAc) was performed for five different feed ratio of VAc (wt %) by using ammonium persulfate (APS) in the aqueous medium. The effect of VAc content on the spectrophotometric and thermal properties of AN–VAc copolymers was investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared–Attenuated Total Reflectance spectrophotometer (FTIR–ATR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA). Thermal stability of homopolymer of AN is improved after being copolymerized. The electrospun P(AN‐co‐VAc) nanofibers were fabricated and the effect of VAc content on the morphologic properties of nanofibers was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The viscosity of the solution had a significant effect on P(AN‐co‐VAc) electrospinning and the nanofiber morphology. The average diameters of P(AN‐co‐VAc) nanofibers decreased 3.4 times with increasing feed ratio of VAc wt %. The P(AN‐co‐VAc) electrospun nanofiber mats, with the feed ratio of 30 wt % VAc, can be used as a nanofiber membrane in filtration and as a carbon nanofiber precursor for energy storage applications due to high surface to volume ratio, high thermal stability, homogeneous, and thinner nanofiber distribution. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013