Near infrared laser-heated electrospinning and mechanical properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/multi-walled carbon nanotube nanofibers

Abstract

We report novel laser-heated electrospinning of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) nanofibers including multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) for enhanced mechanical properties. Laser-heated electrospinning was carried out by irradiating the fluid jet stream with a near-infrared laser during electrospinning of a PET/MWNT solution. The laser-heated electrospun nanofibers exhibited a smaller diameter than the electrospun nanofibers without laser heating, and significantly enhanced mechanical properties. The breaking stress and modulus values were higher than those of the electrospun nanofibers without laser heating, and the highest values were obtained at a laser power density of 2.5 W cm⁻². This enhancement in the mechanical properties of nanofibers is ascribed to the increased orientation of both the MWNTs and PET chains along the nanofiber axis, as shown in the polarized Raman spectroscopy measurements. The orientation of the MWNTs due to laser heating was more dominant than the orientation of the PET chains. However, the laser-heated electrospun nanofibers did not show any crystalline peaks in the X-ray diffraction measurements. Laser-heated electrospinning has significant potential for generating carbon nanotube-including nanofibers with smaller diameters and enhanced mechanical properties.