Polymeric nanofiber composites with aligned ZnO nanorods

ZnO nanorods with high aspect ratio were synthesized and were dispersed in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)water, PVA-water-N,N-dimethylforamide (DMF) and poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN)-DMF systems. These mixtures were electrospun to understand their spinning behaviour. It was found that only PAN-DMF system could result in formation of nanofiber composites reinforced with aligned ZnO rods. PAN nanofibers reinforced with ZnO rods up to 50 wt% on the weight of polymer could be readily electrospun. The presence of aligned ZnO rods inside PAN nanofibers was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning/transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Raman analysis revealed that such reinforced nano-composites are enabled only when ZnO rods could interact with both the dispersant as well as the polymer. Both random and aligned ZnO-PAN reinforced nanofibers could be successfully produced to suit different applications. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.