Active polymer nanofibers for photonics, electronics, energy generation and micromechanics

Abstract

Keyword: polylactic acid, electrospinning method, thermal stimulated current, piezoelectric-like effect 1. Introduction Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable thermoplastic polyester that may be derived from renewable resources. In our previous study, PLA fiber was used in order to fabricate a film actuator. A notable feature of PLA is its biodegradability [1] , although it is also well known that PLA exhibits piezo-electric-like properties. Because of the fact that a lactide monomer exhibits chirality, two types of optical isomer exist, L-lactide and D-lactide. PLAs that polymerize to form either poly-L-lactide (PLLA) or poly-D-lactide (PDLA) also exhibit chirality. It is commonly known that using stretching to orient PLLA and PDLA films results in a shear piezoelectric effect [2-6]. On the other hand, PLA containing D-and L-lactide, i.e., poly(DL-lactic acid) (PDLLA) as racemic mixture, does not exhibit piezoelectricity. We previously reported on the actuation behavior of a randomly oriented electrospun fibrous PDLLA film [7]. This film exhibited an inverse piezoelectric-like behavior, despite its non-piezoelectric, racemic PDLLA content. Fibrous PDLLA films were prepared using the electrospinning method [8,9] , which is a simple method for preparing polymer nanofibers. The fibers that are ejected from a

Electrospun Nanostructures for High Performance Chemiresistive and Optical Sensors

“…Numerous synthesis methods have been proposed to achieve unique morphology and structures. For example, vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) growth, hydrothermal reactions, and electrospinning technique were utilized to prepare 1D‐based SMOs and optically active nanostructures.…”

Multifunctional metal and metal oxide hybrid nanomaterials for solar light photocatalyst and antibacterial applications

“…Functional and multicomponent nanofibrous materials have been developed for chemical transformation [37], catalytic decomposition [38], and filtrations [35]. Versatile platforms for physical and chemical variations, these functional nanofibrous materials carried wide ranges of components, including natural [39], organic [40], inorganic [41,42], and organicinorganic hybrid [43] modules. While conceptually effective in mitigation of waterborne chemical and biological contaminants, their practical uses implicated not only harsh conditions but also the need for materials' recoverability [8,14].…”

Study of Thermally Stimulated Current in Fibrous Poly(DL-Lactic Acid) Films Exhibiting Piezoelectric-Like Behavior

“…Fibrous PDLLA films were prepared using the electrospinning method [8,9] , which is a simple method for preparing polymer nanofibers. The fibers that are ejected from a syringe toward a collector electrode in the presence of a strong electric field are generally gathered in the form of randomly oriented mats or films.…”