Preparation of Nanofibers with Nanoporous Crystalline Phases by Electrospinning

Abstract

Syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) nanofibers with a diameter of 230–720 nm have been prepared via electrospinning of chloroform solutions. The as-spun nanofibers are characterized by an s(2/1)2 helical mesomorphic form but sorption-desorption treatments allow the obtaining of nanofibrous mats characterized by the crystalline nanoporous δ-form. Sorption studies of 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) from 50 ppm aqueous solutions show that DCE sorption in the nanofibrous mats occurs principally in the crystalline cavities of the nanofibers at a fast rate but the DCE equilibrium uptake is lower than for other δ-form morphologies.

Keywords:

• Electrospinning
• Nanoporous crystalline phases
• Syndiotactic polystyrene

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Financial support of the “Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca” (PRIN07), of “Regione Campania” (Legge 5 and Centro di Competenza per le Attività Produttive) and INSTM (PRISMA Project 43/2007) is acknowledged. We thank Prof. Gaetano Guerra of University of Salerno for useful discussions.