Electrospinning and optical properties of polyacrylonitrile / carbon quantum dots fluorescent nanocomposite nanofibres

Abstract

The optical properties and structural characteristics of polyacrylonitrile nanofibres containing two different types of fluorescent compounds, prepared by an electrospinning technique have been studied. The electrospinning solution has been prepared by dissolving the PAN powder at various concentrations in N,N- dimethyl formamide. Carbon quantum dots nanoparticles (CQD) as a fluorescent agent, and Disperse Blue 354 as a fluorescent dye, have been used to produce fluorescent composite nanofibres. The effect of the fluorescent agent on the optical properties of the nanofibres has been evaluated by producing nanofibres with fluorescent dye or CQD nanoparticles at various concentrations. The structural and optical properties of the collected composites nanofibres are characterized using polarizing optical microscopy, field emission-scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectrometry. The results show that the emission and fluorescent properties of the nanofibres depend on the nanofibres diameter, and the type and concentration of the fluorescent materials. The fluorescence intensity is increased with decreasing diameter of the fluorescent nanofibres. In addition, the emission of the nanofibres containing the CQDs is greater than that of the pure nanofibres and nanofibres with the fluorescent dye.