Alcohol Mixtures Research Articles

High-strength polyvinyl alcohol/gelatin/LiCl dual-network conductive hydrogel for multifunctional sensors and supercapacitors

The synthesis of conductive hydrogels with high mechanical strength, toughness, optimal fracture growth rate and the capability to detect diverse human body movements poses a significant challenge in the realm of flexible electronics. In this study, a one-pot technique utilized effectively to fabricate conductive materials by doping LiCl into a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and gelatin. The PVA/gelatin/LiCl0.3(PGL) conductive hydrogel demonstrates exceptional robustness, flexibility, and resistance to deformation, enabling the monitoring of various physiological signals such as temperature and humidity. Additionally, the PGL demonstrates exceptional elongation properties (up to 1111.32 %), high lifting capacity (up to 25 kg), resistance to deformation, and sustained stability of peak signals even after 300 cycles at 50 % strain. The hydrogel electrolyte exhibits a conductivity of 2.114 S/m at 25 °C and a specific capacitance of up to 48.75 F/g, along with favorable mechanical and electrochemical characteristics. These findings suggest that the PVA/gelatin/LiCl0.3 hydrogel supercapacitor (PGLSC) conductive hydrogel shows significant potential for integration into flexible electronics and wearable technology devices.

Facile synthesis and antibacterial performance of novel biofilms based on bacterial cellulose from jackfruit rags, incorporating polyvinyl alcohol, Ag nanoparticles, and Eclipta prostrata extract

The advancements of antibacterial biofilms have received much attention in biomedical, wound healing, and food packaging. Here, we developed a novel bacterial cellulose (BC) through Acetobacter xylinum strains using jackfruit rags as a carbon source, under different fermentation conditions. The highest BC production of 5.668 g L–1 of dried weight BC was obtained from the medium with 1: 2 (w v–1) of jackfruit rags/water ratio, 4.5 initial pH and 9 days of incubation. Further bacterial cellulose was incorporated into mixture of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and Eclipta prostrata extract (EPE) to develop antimicrobial films. The micromorphology, mechanical, and functionality of BC/PVA/AgNPs/EPE biofilms were compared with those of BC/PVA, BC/PVA/EPE, BC/PVA/AgNPs film precursors. The results showed that mechanical strength of BC/PVA/AgNPs/EPE biofilms increased, while their water vapor permeability significantly decreased. Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy revealed excellent compatibility between AgNPs, EPE and the BC/PVA matrix. The BC/PVA/AgNPs/EPE biofilm had strong antibacterial performance against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as the average zone of inhibitions were 18.5 ± 0.33 mm and 21.0 ± 0.3 mm, respectively. These outcomes suggest that the BC/PVA/AgNPs/EPE biofilm can be a good candidate for antibacterial food packaging.

Lights on the Synthesis of Surfactant-Free Colloidal Gold Nanoparticles in Alkaline Mixtures of Alcohols and Water.

Surfactant-free colloidal syntheses in aqueous media are attractive to develop nanomaterials relevant for various applications, e. g. catalysis or medicine. However, controlled green syntheses without surfactants of metal nanoparticles in aqueous media remain scarce. Here, room temperature syntheses of gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) that require only HAuCl4, alkaline water and an alcohol, i. e. relatively benign chemicals and mild reaction conditions, are developed. The findings of a comprehensive multi-parameters screening performed in small volumes (<3 mL) over 1000+ experiments pave the way to greener high throughput screenings of large parametric spaces and lead to scalable (100 mL) synthetic strategies. A rational selection of the alcohol is proposed. The influence of lights with defined wavelengths (222-690 nm) is investigated. It is found that lights with lower wavelengths favor the formation of smaller 5 nm NPs. Different kinetics and formation pathways are observed for different alcohols and for lights with different wavelengths. The sensitivity to various experimental parameters increases with the alcohol used in the order glycerol<ethylene glycol<ethanol<methanol. New strategies for a rational fine size control, and to some extend shape control, are identified. The results lead to more sustainable and reproducible surfactant-free colloidal syntheses of NPs.

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Chitosan Hydrogel Containing Gallic Acid-Modified Fe, Cu, and Zn Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs): Preparation, Characterization, and Biological Applications.

Hydrogel composites are water-swollen and three-dimensional materials that have been investigated for various biological applications, including controlled drug delivery and tissue engineering, owing to the similarity between their mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties with biological tissues. The hydrogel composites can provide a superior replication of living tissue compared to their single components. In this regard, Fe-BTC, Cu-BTC, and Zn-BTC MOFs were synthesized and modified with gallic acid (GA). The MOFs-based hydrogel composites (M-BTC-GA@PVA-CS) were finally fabricated by freezing-thawing the as-synthesized MOFs, gallic acid, chitosan, and poly(vinyl alcohol) mixture. The obtained hydrogels were characterized using techniques such as FTIR, XRD, UV-vis, SEM, EDS, and TEM. Additionally, their antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus and biocompatibility were investigated. The results showed that the surface modification of M-BTC MOFs with GA improves the antibacterial performance of hydrogels and increases their biocompatibility and cell viability. Among the as-prepared M-BTC MOF-based composites, the Cu-BTC MOF-loaded hydrogels showed the highest antibacterial activity. In contrast, the lowest antibacterial effect was observed for the hydrogels with Fe-BTC MOFs. Furthermore, the H&E staining exhibited improved vascularization in Zn-BTC-GA@PVA-CS and Cu-BTC-GA@PVA-CS scaffolds compared to the Fe-BTC-GA@PVA-CS hydrogel. These MOFs-loaded hydrogels may be suitable for utilization in biological applications such as skin treatment, drug delivery, and cosmetics owing to their excellent antibacterial activity and low cytotoxicity.

A Fast and Cost-Effective Electronic Nose Model for Methanol Detection Using Ensemble Learning

Methanol, commonly used to cut costs in the production of counterfeit alcohol, is extremely harmful to human health, potentially leading to severe outcomes, including death. In this study, an electronic nose system was designed using 11 inexpensive gas sensors to detect the proportion of methanol in an alcohol mixture. A total of 168 odor samples were taken and analyzed from eight types of ethanol–methanol mixtures prepared at different concentrations. Only 4 features out of 264 were selected using the feature selection method based on feature importance. These four features were extracted from the data of MQ-3, MQ-4, and MQ-137 sensors, and the classification process was carried out using the data of these sensors. A Voting Classifier, an ensemble model, was used with Linear Discriminant Analysis, Support Vector Machines, and Extra Trees algorithms. The Voting Classifier achieved 85.88% classification accuracy before and 81.85% after feature selection. With its cost effectiveness, fast processing time, and practicality, the recommended system shows great potential for detecting methanol, which threatens human health in counterfeit drink production.

Dielectric relaxation study of pyridine-n-propyl alcohol mixture using time domain reflectometry technique

ABSTRACT The Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) technique was used to analyse the complex permittivity spectra of the Pyridine-n-propyl alcohol mixture across the concentration and temperature range of 10–25°C. The Cole-Davidson model was used to match the Pyridine- n-propyl alcohol complex permittivity spectra. The nonlinear least squares fit approach has been used to obtain the Static dielectric constant (ε0), Relaxation time (τ), Effective Kirkwood correlation factor (geff) Excess permittivity ε 0 E , Thermodynamic parameters (activation enthalpy and activation entropy), and Bruggeman factor (fB). Furthermore, the analysis of excess characteristics and the Bruggeman factor points towards the presence of hydrogen bonding between the pyridine and n-propyl alcohol molecules.

Enhanced data point importance: Layered significance of variables in multivariate calibration

BackgroundThe Enhanced Data Point Importance (EDPI) method, a systematic approach for evaluating the importance of data points in multivariate calibration, is introduced. Factor decomposition methods allow for the evaluation of the impact of variables on maintaining the structural pattern of data in the abstract space. Essential data points play a key role in these patterns and the method of Data Point Importance (DPI) aims to evaluate the essential data points in terms of their importance. All other points are rated by zero. In this contribution, DPI is extended to include inner points to evaluate the importance of these points in the absence of the essential points. The EDPI method employs convex peeling to sort data points systematically. ResultsEDPI method was applied to near-infrared and Raman spectroscopy data sets, including corn and alcohol mixtures and simulated data, to rank and select important variables. EDPI effectively identified variables that contributed to the preservation of the data structure and highlighted key spectral regions with different degrees of selectivity. In the alcohol dataset, EDPI revealed important physicochemical insights by focusing on specific regions where non-analytes spectra overlapped. It performed in a similar way to the Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) method, but with fewer variables selected. SignificanceThe experimental results obtained from calibrating near-infrared and Raman spectroscopic datasets using partial least squares highlight the effectiveness of the proposed EDPI strategy when contrasted with the conventional variable importance in projection (VIP) method for variable selection.

Optimization of the DNA isolation procedure for assessing the genetic diversity of essential oil roses (Rosa L.)

Background. High content of organic compounds that worsen nucleic acid purification in aromatic plants, as well as the use of such toxic substances as phenol and mercaptoethanol in many protocols for plant DNA isolation, make it advisable to take the above disadvantages into account when optimizing the DNA extraction technique for the work with essential oil rose plants. Material and methods. Rose accessions from the Crimean Federal University’s Botanical Garden, and those from the collection held by the Research Institute of Agriculture of Crimea were included in the study. DNA extraction was done according to a modified CTAB protocol. Effectiveness of the technique was assessed using spectrophotometry, horizontal electrophoresis, and ISSR-PCR. Results. DNA preparations extracted with the modified technique were well visualized on the electropherogram and demonstrated high spectrophotometric values. DNA content was twice as high in preparations isolated with an extraction buffer with PVP, compared to a PVP-free buffer. The concentration was also higher in DNA extracts from stems than that from leaves. Purity parameters expressed by the absorption ratios at wavelengths A260/280 and A260/230 were again higher for DNA extracts from stems isolated with an enriched buffer, the A260/230 ratio falling within the normal range only in DNA extracted from stems in the presence of PVP. Besides, DNA extracts were effectively purified from proteins without phenol or mercaptoethanol, due to double rinsing with a chloroform/isoamyl alcohol (24 : 1) mixture. Conclusion. Using rose stem tissues as the research material, adding 2% PVP to the extraction buffer, and twofold rinsing with a chloroform/isoamyl alcohol mixture made it possible to obtain DNA extracts with high concentrations and purity indices within normal ranges suitable for the ISSR analysis of essential oil rose genetic diversity.

Extractive Distillation of Isobutyl Alcohol and Isobutyl Acetate Using Dimethyl Sulfoxide: Process Design and Intensification

AbstractWe have designed a separation process of isobutyl alcohol (52.0 mol%) and isobutyl acetate (48.0 mol%) mixture using conventional extractive distillation (ED) and extractive dividing‐wall column (E‐DWC) with the solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The binary mixture exhibits a minimum boiling azeotrope that is sensitive to pressure. Thermodynamic analyses have shown that the vacuum pressures work better compared to the atmospheric pressure when DMSO is the solvent. Based on the separation with a purity of 99.9 mol%, the E‐DWC process has resulted in 9.6 % and 4.8 % reductions in the total annual cost and CO2 emission rates, respectively, in comparison to the conventional method. After further intensification using the heat pump technique, the E‐DWC process with the solvent DMSO has provided more than 40.0 % reduction in energy consumption compared to the ED systems studied in the literature using the solvents butyl propionate and dimethylformamide.

Reflux extraction with saponification of crude wax from sugarcane filter cake for policosanol production

Abstract Filter cake, a by-product in the sugar industry, has significant amount of wax containing policosanol which can be extracted using proper method and solvent. Policosanol is a mixture of high molecular weight aliphatic primary alcohols and was reported to reduce cardiovascular diseases. This study explored the use of hot ethanol reflux extraction to recover the crude wax from the filter cake followed by saponification for policosanol purification. Crude wax yield of 84.5 mg crude wax/g filter cake was obtained using reflux extraction at 60° C, 500 rpm and 12 mL absolute ethanol/g filter cake. The maximum crude wax yield obtained from Soxhlet extraction was 121.88 ± 0.46 mg crude wax/g dry filter cake, which corresponds to 69.33% recovery. Using a two-level factorial design, the effects of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentration (0.1 M and 1 M), reaction time (30 minutes and 60 minutes)and reaction temperature (30 °C and 60 °C) on the policosanol yield during saponification were determined. Results showed that NaOH concentration and temperature have significant effects on policosanol yield while reaction time alone is insignificant. Increasing both the reaction time and NaOH concentration can lead to an increase in policosanol yield. The highest yield of 1.234 ± 0.322 mg policosanol/g crude wax after saponification was obtained at 60 °C for 60 minutes with 1 M NaOH. This is twice the amount of policosanol recovered as compared to 0.583 ± 0.026 mg policosanol/g crude wax without saponification.

Acute effect of the novel cadaver fixation and storage solution -Anatomical-biomechanical-microbiological study

Cadaver education is a golden standard in health sciences. It is aimed to purify the cadavers from microbes by subjecting them to chemicals and to be used for many years by terminating autolysis. As a result of literature searches, a solution consisting of a mixture of borax, nitrite-nitrate, glycerin, alcohol, and thyme oil was created. While seven sheep hearts were placed in this solution, seven were kept in 10% formaldehyde for two months for fixation and storage. At the end of the first ten days, it was observed that the discoloration of the heart in the solution was lower than the formalin fixation. In histological examinations, it was observed that there was no visual difference between the groups and the tissue could be examined at all magnifications. At the end of two months, insignificant microbial growth observed in the solution. While color changes were better than formaldehyde, texture profile analysis values were found to be closer to fresh heart. In histological examinations, in the solution group, although the tissue could be recognized at all magnifications, it was observed that cell nuclei were less stained at x100. It was concluded that this solution can be used mainly in short-term courses.

Thermo physical, spectroscopic and computational investigation of binary liquid mixtures at various temperatures and correlation with the Jouyban–Acree model (allyl alcohol, ethanoic acid, propanoic acid, and butanoic acid)

ABSTRACT The intermolecular interactions between allyl alcohol + short carboxylic acids (ethanoic acid, propanoic acid, and butanoic acid) binary liquid systems were studied both at the macro- and microscopic levels using a combined experimental and computational methodology. Thermo-physical properties of allyl alcohol and short carboxylic acids binary mixtures are studied at ambient atmospheric pressure over the entire composition range and at T= (303.15 K − 313.15 K). In the present study, the calculated excess/deviation properties are discussed in terms of molecular interactions of binary mixtures. The existence of the hydrogen bonding in the binary mixtures of allyl alcohol + short carboxylic acids were further confirmed by high level theoretical calculation, namely, the density functional theory (DFT-B3LYP) of 6–311++G (d,p) basis set was used to study the geometries, bond characteristics, interaction energies and of the hydrogen bonded complexes in gas phase were investigated via quantum chemical calculations

Синтез 5-амино-3-арил-1H-пиразол-4-карбонитрилов на основе гидразинов или бензгидразидов в условиях ультразвуковой активации

Pyrazoles containing amino and carbonitrile groups have a wide range of biological activities, including antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant, and are used to create pesticides and dyes. Also, these compounds are synthons for the preparation of various polyheterocyclic compounds. New potentially biologically active 5-amino-3-aryl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitriles containing pharmacophoric substituents have been obtained via three-component condensation reactions of malonic dinitrile with substituted aromatic aldehydes and benzhydrazides or hydrazines. This work considers the limits of applicability of hydrazines and hydrazides as weak nucleophiles in similar processes. The described target compounds have been synthesized using the «green chemistry» approach under ultrasonic activation in water or a mixture of water and isopropyl alcohol in the presence of triethylamine as base catalyst. The applicability of this environmentally friendly, economical and efficient approach for the synthesis of nitrogen-unsubstituted (7, 8) and N-aryl- (4, 6) or N-aroyl-substituted (1–3) pyrazole-4-carbonitriles has been demonstrated. The target pyrazole-4-carbonitrile (2) is formed and Schiff base (2’) is released as a by-product in the reaction of the weak binucleophile 3-nitrobenzhydrazide with 4-benzyloxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde and malonic dinitrile. Step-by-step syntheses have shown that the initial reaction of a three-component interaction can be either croton condensation or the formation of a Schiff base. In any case, during subsequent heterocyclization, unstable substituted pyrazolines are formed, which aromatize to the target pyrazoles in the presence of atmospheric oxygen under synthesis conditions. The composition and structure of the products have been confirmed by elemental analysis, NMR 1H, 13C spectroscopy, HSQC, and HMBC heteronuclear correlations.

A tray-by-tray method for the conceptual design of dividing wall columns

Dividing wall columns (DWCs) are intensified units that may lower capital costs, generate energy savings, and reduce the environmental impact with respect to the use of conventional distillation systems. In this work, a tray-by-tray method to design DWCs is developed. Applications to three case studies dealing with the separation of aromatics, linear alkanes and alcohols mixtures are presented. The validation of the conceptual designs with rigorous simulations in Aspen Plus showed the effectiveness of the conceptual design method.

Deciphering the role of plasticizers and solvent systems in hydrophobic polymer coating on hydrophilic core

The type of plasticizer and the choice of solvent or co-solvents used for coating of a hydrophilic core can greatly impact the permeability, porosity, and mechanical strength of the polymer film. Although, Ethylcellulose (EC) is an old polymer, it is a polymer of choice for modifying the drug release due to its inherent properties. The ability of polymers like EC alone to form a diffusion-controlling membrane with good mechanical properties is limited. To modulate the drug release as per the desired profile and modify the film properties, ethylcellulose is often used with hydrophilic hypromellose (HPMC) along with plasticizers. The main focus of the current study was the identification of an appropriate solvent system and plasticizer for the ethylcellulose-hypromellose polymer combination. The study evaluated the coating solution properties, the feasibility and efficiency of the process, the physical attributes of the tablet, the surface properties of the polymer film, the in-vitro drug release and behavior, and the impact of curing time on surface properties and drug release, among other factors.The isopropyl alcohol-water mixture (9:1) produced a homogeneous film in comparison to films produced by other solvents. Although both hydrophilic and hydrophobic plasticizers produce homogeneous films, hydrophilic plasticizers have a higher rate of drug diffusion than hydrophobic plasticizers. During the tablet curing and stability study, the drug release from the polymeric film coating with triethyl citrate decreased moderately and with polyethylene glycol decreased significantly. The presence of hydrophobic plasticizers, viz., dibutyl sebacate and acetyl tributyl citrate, in the polymeric film coating does not impact drug release. For the combination of ethylcellulose and hypromellose, it was found that a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water (9:1) worked better as a solvent for coating solutions, and hydrophobic plasticizers lower the risk associated with coating ethylcellulose and hypromellose together.

Identifying the botanical origin of alcohol using 2H SNIF NMR: A case study of “polish vodka” PGI

In this study, we utilized 2H SNIF NMR and chemometric techniques to differentiate the botanical origin of raw materials used in vodka production in Poland, specifically focusing on plants with C3 metabolism such as grain, potato, and sugar beet. Additionally, for the first time, mixtures of alcohols from different C3 plants were analysed to detect adulteration. Our goal was to determine if it is possible to detect the addition of a different raw material in vodka made from a mixture of alcohols derived from C3 plants. Significant isotopic differences were confirmed using analysis of variance and Tukey's tests. Linear relationships in grain-potato, grain-sugar beet, and beet-potato mixtures enabled composition determination. The detectability threshold for adulterants ranged from 10 % to 50 %, depending on the type of raw material. Our findings suggest that 2H SNIF-NMR is an effective tool for authenticating vodka and detecting adulteration in products marketed as “Polish vodka.”

Rapid-response nanofiber films against ammonia based on black wolfberry anthocyanins, polyvinyl alcohol and sodium alginate for intelligent packaging

To develop novel intelligent indicator films, the mixture of anthocyanin (BWA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA) were spun into PVA/SA/BWA nanofiber films with BWA concentration of 0 %, 5 %, 10 %, and 15 % (based on PVA and SA) via electrospinning technology. The results showed that the BWA was sensitive to pH and was controlled release from films. With increasing BWA concentration, the fiber diameter, tensile strength, and elongation at break gradually decreased, while water contact angle, thickness, moisture content, and antioxidant properties gradually increased. The electrospinning films exhibited high sensitivity to ammonia with rapid color changes in 1 s and excellent color reversibility and color stability within 21 d. The application for shrimp packaging showed that the colorimetric response of the films was closely related to the changes in pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and total viable count (TVC) of shrimp. This suggests that the prepared films are promising in application for intelligent packaging.

Production Sericin/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Blend Membranes Containing One‐Step Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles by UV Radiation for Obtaining Versatile Antibacterial Materials

AbstractIn this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were in‐situ synthesized in silk sericin/poly(vinyl alcohol) (SS/PVA) mixtures by an easy one‐step synthesis method with the presence of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Then, the SS/PVA composite membranes containing AgNPs were obtained by solvent casting method. The chemical structures of the membranes were investigated by fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and results showed that the membranes were a mixture of silk sericin and PVA. The morphological features of the membranes were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) and it was seen that AgNPs containing membranes have heterogeneous structures. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed that the membranes contain carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and silver. X‐ray diffractometer (XRD) and thermogravimetric (TGA) analyses also proved the presence of AgNPs in the structure of membranes. The antibacterial activities of membranes containing AgNPs were investigated on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria with disk diffusion test and liquid culture medium incubation. It was found that SS/PVA membranes containing 5 and 10 mM AgNPs have quite high antibacterial activity on both types of bacteria. The functional SS/PVA membranes have capacity to be used in biomedical applications such as wound care materials.

Performance analysis of precooling systems for cryogenic carbon capture: A comparative study of theoretical, numerical, and experimental methods

The urgency of addressing climate change has necessitated innovative and practical approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Cryogenic Carbon Capture (CCC) technology has emerged as a promising solution for capturing CO2 from industrial emissions. This study investigates a simplified design for a precooling system within CCC technology, focusing on optimizing the efficiency and reliability of the system while minimizing energy consumption. The research examines the effects of CO2 concentration in a gas mixture (simulated flue gas, nitrogen and carbon dioxide), cooling bath temperature, and gas mixture flow rate on the performance of heat exchangers in the precooling system. Theoretical, numerical, and experimental analyses were conducted to assess the system's performance. The use of liquid nitrogen at −196 °C in the cooling bath was found unsuitable due to CO2 freezing within the pipes. Instead, a mixture of dry ice and isopropyl alcohol at −78.5 °C proved effective in maintaining consistent temperature and pressure conditions without causing CO2 blockages. Numerical simulations highlighted the importance of optimizing pipe length to balance temperature control and pressure dynamics, with a 140 cm pipe length identified as optimal for heat exchanger design. Experimental results revealed that longer pipes enhance cooling performance due to increased heat exchange surface area, while higher CO2 compositions and flow rates result in higher outlet temperatures and pressures. The study emphasizes the need for further research and simulation work to refine heat exchanger designs for industrial applications, aiming to develop systems that maximize cooling efficiency while ensuring reliable operation.

Effects of filler material on the characteristics of electrospun polyvinyl alcohol/Nafion nanofibrous membranes

AbstractIn this study, polyvinyl alcohol/Nafion nanofibrous composite membranes were produced to investigate their possible application as a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) in direct methanol fuel cells. Electrospinning method was used for nanofibrous membrane production, in which the mixture of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Nafion solutions was directly electrospun. Produced nanofibers were subjected to physical stabilization, filler application, and sulfonating to produce composite nanofibrous membranes. PVA and Nafion polymers were used also as filler materials. The properties of resultant composite membranes were compared in terms of water swelling, weight loss in water and methanol solution, thermal stability, morphology, proton conductivity, and methanol permeability. Proton conductivity of the membranes depending on the humidity was also investigated. TGA analysis showed that the membranes had adequate thermal properties regardless of the filler material. The nanofibrous structure was shown to be preserved by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after treatment with water and methanol solution. It was shown that PVA/Nafion nanofibers displayed proton conductivity after filling process. The use of PVA as a filler material led to higher proton conductivity at 100 RH%. It was reported that proton conductivity could only be obtained at higher relative humidity values (&gt;80% RH). A lower methanol permeability of PVA‐filled membranes was reported.Highlights PVA/Nafion nanofibrous membranes were produced by electrospinning. PVA and Nafion were also used as pore filling materials. PVA‐filled membranes had higher proton conductivity and lower methanol permeability. Proton conductivity could only be obtained at higher RH% values.