Layer-by-layer structured films of TiO2 nanoparticles and poly(acrylic acid) on electrospun nanofibres

We report a new approach for fabricating layer-by-layer (LBL) structured ultrathin hybrid films on electrospun nanofibres. Oppositely charged anatase TiO2 nanoparticles and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were alternately deposited on the surface of negatively charged cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibres using the electrostatic LBL self-assembly technique. The fibrous mats were characterized by wide-angle x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area techniques. The crystalline phase of anatase TiO2 remained unchanged in the resultant TiO2/PAA films coated on CA fibrous mats. Moreover, the TiO2/PAA film coated fibres showed rough surfaces with grains due to the deposition of aggregated TiO2 particles. The average diameter of the fibres increased from 344 to 584 nm and the BET surface area of the fibrous mats increased from 2.5 to 6.0 m(2) g(-1) after coating with five bilayers of TiO2/PAA films.