Preparation of polyacrylonitrile-based solution blow spinning fluorescent nanofibers from perylene-doped silica nanoparticles

Abstract

ABSTRACT Fluorescent agents have been used to improve the anticounterfeiting of marketable products. It has been vital to enhance the engineering processing of fluorescent agents and materials matrices to prepare a mechanically reliable nanocomposite material with anticounterfeiting properties. Herein, new fluorescent and mechanically reliable inorganic-organic hybrid nanofibrous were developed by solution blowing spinning of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) encapsulating perylene-doped silica nanoparticles (PSiN). Two different types of fluorescent nanofibers were prepared using PSiN as an active doping agent and polyacrylonitrile as a hosting material. Fluorescent nanofibers were provided by solution blowing spinning technology utilizing perylene pigments, including perylene potassium (PMIK) and mono-imide sodium (PMINa) salts, and perylene diimide (PDI). In order to create a transparent nanofibrous film, fluorescent perylene-doped silica nanoparticles must be efficiently dispersed in a polyacrylonitrile solution without aggregation. The prepared fluorescent silica nanoparticles (SiN) displayed diameters ranging between 45 and 65 nm. The provided solution blow spun fluorescent PAN nanofibers integrated with PMINa, PMIK or PDI, showed smooth surface with diameters ranging between 350 and 550 nm. The prepared fluorescent PSiN and PSiN@PAN nanofibers were examined by several techniques, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The solution blow spun nanofibers demonstrated an absorbance band at 458 nm and a fluorescence peak at 647 nm. The prepared nanofibers displayed a reversible emission upon repeated illumination with UV light. The emission properties of the prepared PSiN@PAN nanofibers were studied. The cytotoxic properties of the nanofibrous films were also explored. The current strategy introduces fluorescent nanostructured fibers that pave the way for the preparation of optical textiles such as optical devices, anticounterfeiting applications, and flexible displays.