Nickel nanoparticle chains inside carbonized polymer nanofibers: preparation by electrospinning and ion-beam irradiation

Abstract

Novel organic–inorganic composite 1D nanostructures composed of carbonized conductive nanofibers and nickel nanoparticle chains were prepared by the combination of an electrospinning method from metal complex-containing polymer solutions and an ion-beam irradiation technique. The nickel nanoparticle chains were formed by self-assembly inside the carbonized nanofibers, which were characterized by STEM-HAADF observation and XPS spectroscopy. The existence of nickel complexes and the subsequent formation of nickel nanoparticles enhanced the electrical conductivities of carbonized nanofibers to reach above 0.5 S cm⁻¹ for the 6FDA–6FAP nanofibrous membrane containing 5.0 wt% Ni(acac)₂ after ion-beam irradiation at an ion fluence of 1 × 10¹⁶ ions per cm².