Physical stabilisation of electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibres: comparative study on methanol and heat-based crosslinking

Mohsen Miraftab*, Abu Saifullah, Ahmet Çay

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Methanol crosslinking and heat-treatment methods for physical crosslinking of electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibres were investigated to assess their stability in water. For this purpose, PVAs with low and high molecular weights were selected. Morphology of the crosslinked membranes was characterised by scanning electron microscopy. Crystallinity of the resultant crosslinked fibres were analysed by FT-IR and differential scanning calorimetry. It has been shown that physical crosslinking increases the crystallinity of the fibres. High molecular weight PVA nanofibres showed better stability and better preservation of nanofibrous structure. Stability of the crosslinked membranes was also tested by immersion into water at room temperature and boiling water. Combined methanol and heat treatments at different temperatures and exposure periods were also investigated. Treatment at 180 °C HMW PVA nanofibres for longer durations exhibited best results in terms of water stability, although it exhibited somewhat lower swelling ratios as compared to those subjected to only methanol treatment.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1943-1957
    Number of pages15
    JournalJournal of Materials Science
    Volume50
    Early online date12 Dec 2014
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2015

    Keywords

    • fibre diameter
    • physical crosslinking
    • longe treatment time
    • methanol treatment
    • nanofibrous structure

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Physical stabilisation of electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibres: comparative study on methanol and heat-based crosslinking'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this