Electrospinning PVDF/PPy/MWCNTs conducting composites

Conducting PVDF/PPy composites (PPy composites) were prepared by using the highly porous electrospun (e-spun) nonwoven web as a host polymer. E-spun nonwoven web was made by electrospinning a solution of PVDF and CuCl2·2H2O in solvent of N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc). The PPy composites were fabricated by exposing a nonwoven web containing oxidant to pyrrole vapors. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis was conducted to show the microstructure of the nonwoven webs and the uniform coating of PPy on the e-spun fiber surfaces of the PPy composite. The information of PPy on the e-spun fibers surface was confirmed by attenuated Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (ATR FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS). The thermal property of PPy composites was also investigated by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The electrical conductivity of the PPy composites was affected by the fabrication method and oxidant content in the nonwoven web. The electrical conductivity and mechanical strength of the PPy composites were improved when surface-modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were added to the e-spun fibers. Energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EF-TEM) results confirmed that the MWCNTs were well arranged and embedded in the e-spun fibers. The observed conductivity of the conducting PPy-MWCNTs composite was 10−1 S/cm.