Fabrication of Polycaprolactone -Silica Aerogel Nanofibers via Electrospinning Method

Abstract

The field of nanotechnology has seen rapid advancements over the last decade. Nanofiber production through the method of electrospinning is one of the attraction points in this area. The nanofibers, prepared with nano-sized additives, particularly with polymer, have an extensive range of usages. This study utilizes silica aerogels obtained by the sol-gel method due to their low density of 700-800 gr/m2. Polycaprolactone (PCL)-Silica Aerogel Nanofibers were attained by adding 0.5%,1%, 2%and 4% of previously produced aerogels to the nanofibers formed by electrospinning. This paper correspondingly examined the differences between AC-CL and MET-CL solvent groups being utilized during the preparation of the solutions. In addition to this examination, series of material tests were conducted, such as tensile test, SEM, FTIR, DTA/TG, and BET. Overall, the resultant nanofibers with a property of high surface area can be utilized in the design of materials applied to many areas, including solar devices, solar pools, sensors, and capacitors.