Cai YB, Wang QQ, Wei QF, You Q, Huang FL, Song L, Hu Y, Gao WD (2010b) Structure, Thermal, and Antibacterial Properties of Polyacrylonitrile/Ferric Chloride Nanocomposite Fibers by Electrospinning. International Journal of Polymer Analysis and Characterization 15(2), 110-118. [In English]

Web link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10236660903525083

Keywords:

Antibacterial properties; Electrospinning; PAN; FeCl3 nanocomposite; fibers; Structure; Thermal stability; montmorillonite nanocomposites; composite nanofibers; ferric-chloride; degradation; fabrication; membranes; nylon-6; abs

Abstract: In the present work, the manufacturing of pure polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber and PAN/FeCl3 nanocomposite fibers was explored by an electrospinning process. The effects of FeCl3 on the structure, thermal stability, and antibacterial properties of the PAN nanocomposite fibers were studied, and were respectively characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), and shake flask tests. The SEM images showed that the diameters of nanocomposite fibers decreased with the loading of FeCl3. The TGA analyses revealed that the onset temperature of thermal decomposition, maximum decomposition temperature, and amount of charred residue at 700 degrees C of PAN nanocomposite fibers was notably increased in the presence of FeCl3, contributing to improved thermal stability properties. It was also found that the reduction percentage of the tested bacteria, Escherichia coli, reached 87% when the FeCl3 content was 5wt.% of the PAN nanocomposite fibers.