Nanofibers are among the most promising nanomaterials, with an extraordinary area-to-volume ratio. Titanium oxynitride (TiON) nanofibers represent a relatively new material that shows potential in the field of electrochemistry and photocatalysis due to its high conductivity properties, while in medical field the major advantage is lower tendency to platelet adhesion and fibrinogen binding. However, the major drawback of TiON is its mechanical fragility, which limits its long-term use. To solve this problem, carbon can be added to the material to increase its mechanical strength. Therefore, the aim of this master thesis is to develop monolithic and core-shell TiON carbon nanofibers by the electrospinning method and evaluate their morphology and physicochemical properties by different analytical methods.
In the first part, we developed various polymer nanofibers from polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) solutions in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and ethanol. To develop organic-inorganic composite nanofibers, titanium(IV) isopropoxide (TIP) as TiO2 precursor and in some cases Pt salt were added to the polymer solution. PVP nanofibers were prepared from both solvents, while the preparation of PAN nanofibers was possible only from DMF. We found that PVP solutions dissolved in DMF required a much higher concentration of polymer than those dissolved in ethanol to successfully produce nanofibers without beads. The developed nanofibers were thermally treated in NH3 atmosphere and prepared TiON and carbon nanofibers were thinner than the nanofibers before thermal treatment.
In the second part, we tried to develop three different types of core-shell nanofibers: (i) nanofibers composed of a TiON core and a Pt shell, (ii) a carbon core and a TiON shell with Pt, and (iii) a carbon core and a Pt shell. We have found that production of core-shell nanofibers is even more challenging than production of monolithic nanofibers. Using transmission electron microscopy, we confirmed a partial core-shell structure as inner and outer polymer solutions mixed during electrospinning. Using X-ray diffraction, we confirmed the presence of TiON, carbon, and platinum in monolithic and core-shell nanofibers.
The results of the experiments represent an important basis for further development of nanofibers based on carbon and TiON and their applicability in various fields.
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