Enhanced mechanical properties of multilayer nano-coated electrospun nylon 6 fibers via a layer-by-layer self-assembly

We reported the mechanical properties of the polyelectrolyte multilayer nano-coated electrospun fiber mats with different number of layers. Multilayer nano-coatings composed of layers of PSS and PAH were successfully deposited onto electrospun nylon 6 fibers via layer-by-layer self-assembly. Compared with pure nylon 6 fibers, the morphology of polyelectrolyte multilayer coated nylon 6 fibers was uniform and smooth. The mechanical properties of polyelectrolyte multilayer coated random and aligned nylon 6 fibers were remarkably enhanced. Moreover, it was found that the higher degree of alignment resulted in higher tensile strength, suggesting the combined effects of the alignment, the surface nanocoating and the formation of internal networks of polyelectrolytes on nylone 6 fibers. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.