Synthesis and characterization of Ag doped ZnO-PVP composite nanofibers by electrospinning method

Abstract

One-dimensional (1D) nanomaterials such as nanowires, nanotubes, nanorods, nanofibers and nanobelts have drawn a lot of attention arising out oftheir unique optical, magnetic, electrical, and otheremerging properties. Among them nanofibers provide several amazing characteristics such as very large surface area to volume ratio, high porosity, high gas permeability, small interfibrous pore size, flexibility in surface functionalities. A number of methods have been used to fabricate nanofibers but electrospinning only method to be the simplest, costeffective and highly versatile technique that has been widely used for the fabrication continuous fibers. In the present work we have synthesized ZnO-PVP composite nanofiber and Ag doped ZnO-PVP composite nanofibers by electrospinning method. The formation, crystalline phase and morphology of the prepared nanofibers were analyzed by FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD and FE-SEM analytical techniques. Formation of ultra-fine continuous smooth fibers with diameter in the range of 150-450 nm and length up to several microns was observed in case of ZnO-PVP composite nanofiber. However, in case of Ag doped ZnO-PVP composite nanofibers, no significant change in fibers diameter was observed. The magnified SEM images indicate the formation of around 20-50 nm spherical Ag particles on the surface of the nanofiber. The formation of ZnO in composite nanofiber was confirmed by XRD analysis. Furthermore, additional peaks of Ag3O4 phase was observed in the XRD pattern of Ag doped ZnO-PVP composite nanofiber.