Preparation of PLGA/MWCNT Composite Nanofibers by Airflow Bubble-Spinning and Their Characterization

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite nanofibers have been successfully fabricated via airflow bubble-spinning. In this work, a systematic study of the effects of solution concentration, relative humidity (RH), and composition on the morphology of PLGA nanofibers is reported. By comparing the distribution of fiber diameter, we found that the spinning effect was the best when the temperature was kept at 25 °C, the collecting distance 18 cm, the concentration 8 wt %, and the relative humidity 65%. MWCNTs used as added nanoparticles were incorporated into the PLGA nanofibers. The volatile solvents were used to achieve the purpose of producing nanoporous fibers. Besides, the rheological properties of solutions were studied and the PLGA or PLGA/MWCNT composite nanofibers with a nanoporous structure were also completely characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), a thermogravimetric analyzer(TGA), X-ray diffraction(XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In addition, we compared the mechanical properties of the fibers. It was found that the addition of MWCNTs significantly enhanced the tensile strength and elasticity of composite nanofibers without compromising the nanoporous morphology. The results showed that the breaking strength of the composite fiber bundle was three times as strong as the pure one, and the elongation at the break was twice as great. This work provided a novel technique successfully not only to get rid of the potential safety hazards caused by unexpected static but also prepare oriented nanoporous fibers, which would demonstrate an impressive prospect for the fields of adsorption and filtration.