Electrospun polyimide/titanium dioxide composite nanofibrous membrane by electrospinning and electrospraying

Fibrous membrane with a fibre diameter of 229 +/- 35 nm was fabricated from polyimide solution by electrospinning. Nanofibrous membrane with a fibre diameter of 251 +/- 37 nm was fabricated by combined electrospinning and electrospraying for polyimide/TiO2. Among the different solvents studied, ethanol was the effective solvent for dispersing the TiO2 nanoparticles in the nanofibrous matrix during electrospraying. The average pore size of polyimide membrane was obtained in the range 0.79-0.89 microm whereas the average pore size of polyimide/TiO2 membrane was found to be in the range 1.23 microm. The tensile stress of polyimide nanofibrous membrane and also polyimide/TiO2 composite fibrous membrane determined to be 0.36 MPa and 0.65 MPa respectively. Nanofibrous membrane containing TiO2 nanoparticles on the surface of the polyimide nanofibres improved the mechanical stability of the membrane.