Electro-spun poly(lactic acid)/poly(triarylamine)(PLA/PTAA) composite nanofibers with low PLA content for fiber-based electronic applications

Abstract

Electrically conducting composite nanofibers based on poly(lactic acid)/poly(triarylamine)-(PLA/PTAA) were successfully prepared via electrospinning using low (<10 wt%) PLA concentrations in chloroform. The uniform blending of PLA and PTAA was confirmed by analyzing the absorption and fluorescence spectra, which showed no phase separation or chemical interactions between the components. By measuring the PTAA concentration using the emission spectra, it was found that the highest PTAA content was achieved in the fibers containing 5 wt%-PLA/PTAA. The resulting 5 wt%-PLA/PTAA composite nanofibers were electrically conducting and were used to fabricate a diode, which exhibited a turn-on voltage of 0.6 V and an on/off ratio of 800. The rectification efficiency of a 10 Hz AC signal using the diode was measured to be 15%. The biodegradable and biocompatible nature of PLA combined with the electroactive properties of PTAA make these composite nanofibers promising materials for use in biosensors and other health-related electronic devices.