Design and Fabrication of Conductive Nanofiber Using Electrospinning

Abstract

Nanofibers have exceptional properties due to their diameter and large surface area to mass ratio. Thus, nanofibers can potentially be used as electrodes in highly sensitive biosensing systems, bio-fuel cells, and high-power devices. In this study, conductive polyurethane-FeCl₃ composite nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning. The optimal electrospinning conditions were investigated, and the physical and chemical properties of the composite were evaluated. Conductive polyurethane/FeCl₃ fibers of 1-5 µm in diameter were obtained, and their conductivity was 13.7±1.47×10^-3 S/m. The effects of the morphology of the material were also monitored, and it was found that a fiber mat was 10 times more conductive than a film, because the crystallinity of the polyurethane and the Fe³⁺ distribution affect the electrical properties. The conductive nanofibers are flexible because the fiber substrate is made of polyurethane. Therefore, the fibers demonstrated in this study could make it possible to control the electric properties by modifying the nanofiber morphology.