Abstract
In this paper, a titanium dioxide particle coated carbon fiber was prepared by reaction spinning. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was used as the precursor to generate a continuous carbon nanofiber. A solution containing 10% wt PAN polymer dissolved in dimethylformamide (DMF) was made as the core fluid. The sheath fluid contains 10% titanium (IV) isopropoxide, 85% ethanol, and 5% acetic acid. The two solutions were co-spun onto an aluminium plate covered with a layer of soft tissue paper. A titanium hydroxide layer formed at the surface of the PAN fiber through the hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide due to the moisture absorption in the co-spinning process. The reaction spun fiber was converted to a partially carbonized nanofiber by the heat treatment in air at 250 °C for two hours, then in hydrogen at 500 °C for two hours. During the early stage of the heat treatment, the titanium hydroxide decomposed and produced titanium dioxide nanoparticles at the surface of the carbon fiber. The structure and composition of the carbonized fiber were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The photosensitivity of the particle-containing fiber was characterized by measuring the open circuit voltage under visible light excitation. The photoelectric energy conversion behavior of the fiber was confirmed by open circuit potential measurement. The potential applications of the composite fiber for photovoltaics and photonic sensing were discussed.
Highlights
Electrohydrodynamic casting or electrospinning is a simple, versatile, economic, and efficient strategy in preparing fibers in nanometer scales for various polymers and oxidized metals [1].To incorporate oxide nanoparticles into electrospun fibers, metal- organic compounds are typically used
The microstructure of the composite fiber was examined and its composition was analyzed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
The elemental composition analysis confirmed all the elements in the resultant fiber; no contamination had occurred during the entire casting process
Summary
Electrohydrodynamic casting or electrospinning is a simple, versatile, economic, and efficient strategy in preparing fibers in nanometer scales for various polymers and oxidized metals [1]. The combination of the excellent properties of nanostructured titanium dioxide and its high surface area gives the titanium-oxide-containing nanofibers vast applicability in cosmetics, scaffolds for tissue engineering, catalytic devices, sensors, solar cells, and optoelectronic devices. A higher degree of molecular orientation in the original PAN precursor fiber results in carbon fibers with better mechanical properties— the tensile modulus. Based on this fact, the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and dimethylformamide (DMF) solution was considered the base polymer for forming the nanofiber [10]. The photovoltaic performance of the DSSCs consisting of graphene composites with carbon nanotubes (CNTs), titanium dioxide (TiO2 ), and other substances, such as organic semiconductors and ionic liquids, were compared with standard reference solar cells. The microstructure of the composite fiber was examined and its composition was analyzed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
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