Abstract
With the aim of achieving controllable mass production of electrospun nanofiber films, this study proposes and investigates the feasibility of using a custom-made linear electrode- electrospun device to produce conductive graphene (GR)-filled polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers. The film morphology and diameter of nanofibers are observed and measured to examine the effects of viscosity and conductivity of the PVA/GR mixtures. Likewise, the influence of the content of graphene on the hydrophilicity, electrical conductivity, electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMSE), and thermal stability of the PVA/GR nanofiber films is investigated. The test results show that the PVA/GR mixture has greater viscosity and electric conductivity than pure PVA solution and can be electrospun into PVA/GR nanofiber films that have good morphology and diameter distribution. The diameter of the nanofibers is 100 nm and the yield is 2.24 g/h, suggesting that the process qualifies for use in large-scale production. Increasing the content of graphene yields finer nanofibers, a smaller surface contact angle, and higher hydrophilicity of the nanofiber films. The presence of graphene is proven to improve the thermal stability and strengthens the EMSE by 20 dB at 150–1500 MHz. Mass production is proven to be feasible by the test results showing that PVA/GR nanofiber films can be used in the medical hygiene field.
Highlights
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a highly hydrophilic, biocompatible, and biodegradable polymer [1,2,3]with good chemical stability and mass transfer properties [4,5,6]
PVA nanofibers can be used as wound dressings, drug carriers, biomedical materials, and matrices for tissue regeneration [7,8,9]
The drawback of PVA nanofiber films is with respect to their low mechanical properties
Summary
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a highly hydrophilic, biocompatible, and biodegradable polymer [1,2,3]with good chemical stability and mass transfer properties [4,5,6]. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a highly hydrophilic, biocompatible, and biodegradable polymer [1,2,3]. PVA nanofibers can be used as wound dressings, drug carriers, biomedical materials, and matrices for tissue regeneration [7,8,9]. The drawback of PVA nanofiber films is with respect to their low mechanical properties. Materials 2018, 11, 1033 of nanofillers can improve mechanical, electrical, thermal, and optical properties. Graphene (GR) is one commonly used nanofiller [10,11] capable of increasing the mechanical properties considerably and retaining the intrinsic biocompatibility, which massively strengthens the polymer matrix composites [12,13]. Graphene features a high specific surface area, surface conductivity, and transmission capacity, and even accelerates the transmission of drugs and target cells [14,15,16,17,18,19]
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