WO₃ Nanowires Enhance Molecular Alignment and Optical Anisotropy in Electrospun Nanocomposite Fibers: Implications for Hybrid Light-Emitting Systems.

ABSTRACT: The molecular orientation in polymer fibers is investigated for the purpose of enhancing their optical properties through nanoscale control by nanowires mixed in electrospun solutions. A prototypical system, consisting of a conjugated polymer blended with polyvinylpyrrolidone, mixed with WO₃ nanowires, is analyzed. A critical strain rate of the electrospinning jet is determined by theoretical modeling at which point the polymer network undergoes a stretch transition in the fiber direction, resulting in a high molecular orientation that is partially retained after solidification. Nearing a nanowire boundary, local adsorption of the polymer and hydrodynamic drag further enhance the molecular orientation. These theoretical predictions are supported by polarized scanning near-field

SUBMITTER: Greenfeld I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8961744 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature