Abstract
In this work, luminescent composite fibers were prepared by electrospinning of polylactic acid (PLA) and polysulfone (PSU) solutions containing the europium complex Eu(tta)3(phen) (tta=2-thenoyltrifluoracetonato; Phen=1,10-phe3nantroline). The structural and optical properties were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Cylindrical PLA and ribbon-like planar PSU fibers were obtained. The Eu complex was dispersed in the PLA and PSU fibers in the form of crystals of irregular shape with sizes in the range of 150–300nm and led both type of fibers to emit a bright red fluorescence under UV-illumination. FTIR analysis showed that the EuO bond is affected by the polymer matrices although there were no considerable interactions between them. Fluorescence spectra studies revealed that the coordination environment of the Eu3+ ion changed resulting in an increased calculated asymmetric ratio as compared with that of the Eu pure complex. These results suggest the potential of electrospinning to prepare luminescent polymers in which biodegradability could be a desired property.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
