Electrospinning has been used to prepare poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers, with diameters ranging from 1 �m down to 20 nm, that contain dispersions of isolated, well-aligned, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The nanofibers were characterized by electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Single Raman radial breathing modes (RBMs) were found for the SWNTs in the nanofibers, as shown in the Figure below, which allowed the identification of particular nanotubes and indicated debundling/separation of the original SWNT ropes. The results of polarized Raman spectroscopy were consistent with the presence of isolated SWNTs, well-aligned along the nanofiber axes. The nanofibers were subjected to deformation and the position of the G and G' bands was followed as a function of strain. It was found that large band shifts were obtained, indicating that there was good stress transfer from the PVA matrix to the nanotubes. A band shift of up to 40 cm-1 for 1% strain was found for the G' band which is similar to that reported for the deformation of isolated nanotubes. This indicates that the effective Young's modulus of SWNTs in the nanofibers is in excess of 800 GPa.The behavior of the electrospun fibers has been compared with that of poly(vinyl alcohol)-SWNT fibers with diameters from 1 to 15 �m prepared by coagulation spinning. It was found that by preparing fibers with low diameter (1 to 2 �m) values of Young's modulus in excess of 240 GPa could be obtained with strengths of nearly 3 GPa. These findings illustrate the potential for making high-performance fibers by this route.

Isolation and alignment of carbon nanotubes in fibers by electrospinning

247th National Meeting (2014)

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