Key Parameters for Electrospinning of Polyaniline Nanofibers: Solvent and Carrier Polymer

Despite unique properties of polyaniline (PANI), the processability of this smart polymer is associated with challenges. Particularly, it is very difficult to prepare PANI nanofibers due to poor solubility, low molecular weight, high charge density, and rigid backbone. One approach to overcome these challenges is to add an electrospinnable polymer to the PANI solution to adjust the concentration and viscosity of the solution. Furthermore, the choice of solvent is crucial for the fabrication of the PANI solution. In this study, we prepared poly(ether sulfone) (PES)/ PANI nanofibers with three different solvents including dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), and hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). The effect of solvents and carrier polymer on conductivity and morphology of composite PANI nanofibers was investigated. It was shown that the solvent should be selected in such a way that the PES can be electrospun at the lowest concentration. In this way, the amount of non-conductive part in the composite is minimized and the conductivity is increased. Between three studied solvents, HFIP is the best solvent for the synthesis of PANI/PES nanofibers with suitable conductivity and morphology.

Keywords:

Electrospun nanofibers , Conductive polymer , Polyaniline , Morphology , Solvent