Crosslinked Sulfonated Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Graphene Oxide Electrospun Nanofibers as Polyelectrolytes

Abstract

Taking advantage of the high functionalization capacity of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), bead-free homogeneous nanofibrous mats were produced. The addition of functional groups by means of grafting strategies such as the sulfonation and the addition of nanoparticles such as graphene oxide (GO) were considered to bring new features to PVA. Two series of sulfonated and nonsulfonated composite nanofibers, with different compositions of GO, were prepared by electrospinning. The use of sulfosuccinic acid (SSA) allowed crosslinked and functionalized mats with controlled size and morphology to be obtained. The functionalization of the main chain of the PVA and the determination of the optimum composition of GO were analyzed in terms of the nanofibrous morphology, the chemical structure, the thermal properties, and conductivity. The crosslinking and the sulfonation treatment decreased the average fiber diameter of the nanofibers, which were electrical insulators regardless of the composition. The addition of small amounts of GO contributed to the retention of humidity, which significantly increased the proton conductivity. Although the single sulfonation of the polymer matrix produced a decrease in the proton conductivity, the combination of the sulfonation, the crosslinking, and the addition of GO enhanced the proton conductivity. The proposed nanofibers can be considered as good candidates for being exploited as valuable components for ionic polyelectrolyte membranes.

Proton Conductivity through Polybenzimidazole Composite Membranes Containing Silica Nanofiber Mats

“…The enhancement of ionic conductivity in composite polymer electrolytes has been attributed mainly to the decrease of the polymer crystallinity in the presence of the inorganic particles, and also to the Lewis acid–base type interactions between the inorganic particles and the electrolyte polar groups, being more favorable with basic rather than with acidic groups for PBI-based polymers. These effects have also been observed in composite nanofiber membranes based on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) with different silica contents [58,59] and PVA membranes with GO [60].…”

Fabrication and Characterization of Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Eggshell Membrane-Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanofibers for Tissue Engineering Applications

“…Incorporating the reinforcement agents into the polymer matrix prevents the diffusion of substances through the membrane [ 22 , 23 ]. The performance of these multicomponent systems can be optimized by their synergic features [ 24 ]. On the other hand, GO is more appropriate for biomedical applications because of the hydrophilicity that is provided by hydroxyl and carboxyl groups [ 25 , 26 ].…”

Chitosan/Gold Hybrid Nanoparticles Enriched Electrospun PVA Nanofibrous Mats for the Topical Delivery of Punica granatum L. Extract: Synthesis, Characterization, Biocompatibility and Antibacterial Properties

“…Crosslinking is considered one of the promising ways that make such polymers more appropriate for the intended application not only by rendering them water insoluble but also through improving their mechanical, physical and chemical characteristics. 2 Many methods were employed to obtain crosslinked PVA NFs such as thermal crosslinking, 2 solution method, 3 crosslinking via heating with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), 4 sulfosuccinic acid (SSA), 5 citric acid 6 and glutaraldehyde (GA) vapor 7 ( Scheme 1 ).

Scheme 1 Schematic illustration of the crosslinking reaction of PVA with GA vapor.

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