Power generation from randomly oriented electrospun nanofiber membranes

Randomly orientated electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanofiber membranes were directly used as active layers to make mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion devices. Without any extra poling treatment, the device can generate high electrical outputs upon receiving a mechanical impact. The device also showed long-term working stability and ability to drive electronic devices. Such a nanofiber membrane device may serve as a simple but efficient energy source for self-powered electronics.

A study of pyrolysis conditions on carbon nanofiber properties produced from freeze-dried cellulose nanofibers

In the present work, carbon nanofibers were prepared by pyrolysis of freeze-dried cellulose nanofiber and the effect of pyrolysis conditions on the properties of carbon nanofiber was studied. SEM analysis revealed that slow heating rates below 400oC are critical to maintain the fibrous morphology after carbonization. The present study demonstrated the possibility of producing carbon nanofibers of ≤ 30 nm in diameter by a simple and scalable method.

A novel method to investigate the polystyrene nanofiber formation during electrospinning process

In this study, the formation of polystyrene (PS) nanofibers during electrospinning process was investigated using a simple coagulation method. The fiber diameter, bead size and bead density of the PS nanofibers electrospun from the solutions with three different PS concentrations were studied. It revealed that the initial stage of electrospinning was responsible for fiber thinning, while the later stage is responsible for improving the fiber uniformity.