Electrospinning Fabrication of Tb(BA)3phen/PANI/PVP Luminescence-Electricity Bifunctional Composite Nanofibers

Abstract

A new kind of luminescence-electricity bifunctional Tb(BA)3phen/PANI/PVP composite nanofibers was fabri- cated through doping of polyaniline (PANI) and terbium complex (Tb(BA)3phen) in polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) via elec- trospinning. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), fluorescence spectrometer and broadband dielectric spectrometer were used to characterize the samples. The results indicated that the average diameter of the Tb(BA)3phen/PANI/PVP composite nanofibers was ca. (331±43) nm. Under the excitation of 276 nm ultraviolet, Tb(BA)3phen/PANI/PVP composite nanofibers emitted the predominant emission peaks at 491, 547 and 585 nm, corre- sponding to 5 D4→ 7 F6, 5 D4→ 7 F5 and 5 D4→ 7 F4 transitions of Tb 3 + , respectively. The strongest emission intensity was acquired when the mass ratios of Tb(BA)3phen, PANI and PVP was 15∶10∶100. The electric conductivity of the composite nanofi- bers was increased with the increase of PANI content, and reached 1.531×10 -6 S/cm in high frequency electric field (10 6 Hz) when the mass ratio of PANI to PVP was 50%. The luminescent intensity and electric conductivity of Tb(BA)3phen/ PANI/PVP composite nanofibers can be tuned via adding of various amounts of Tb(BA)3phen and PANI into the composite nanofibers. This preparative technique is of universal significance and can be used to fabricate other similar bifunctional lu- minescence-electricity composite nanofibers. This new type bifunctional luminescence-electricity composite nanofibers will have wide applications in many fields due to their excellent fluorescence and conductivity. Keywords electrospinning; Tb(BA)3phen/PANI/PVP; nanofiber; polyaniline