title: Conductive cable fibers with insulating surface prepared by coaxial electrospinning of multiwalled nanotubes and cellulose.
abstract: Core-sheath multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT)-cellulose fibers of diameters from several hundreds of nanometers to several micrometers were prepared by coaxial electrospinning from a nonvolatile, nonflammable ionic liquid (IL) solvent, 1-methyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM][Ac]). MWNTs were dispersed in IL to form a gel solution. This gel core solution was electrospun surrounded by a sheath solution of cellulose dissolved in the same IL. Electrospun fibers were collected in a coagulation bath containing ethanol-water to remove the IL completely and dried to form core-sheath MWNT-cellulose fibers having a cable structure with a conductive core and insulating sheath. Enzymatic treatment of a portion of a mat of these fibers with cellulase selectively removed the cellulose sheath exposing the MWNT core for connection to an electrode. These MWNT-cellulose fiber mats demonstrated excellent conductivity because of a conductive pathway of bundled MWNTs. Fiber mat conductivity increased with increasing ratio of MWNT in the fibers with a maximum conductivity of 10.7 S/m obtained at 45 wt % MWNT loading.
authors.affiliation: Rensselaer Nanotechnology Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth Street, Troy, New York 12180, USA.
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyauchi
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Trevor J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: Jong-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Thomas V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: Jonathan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dordick
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Linhardt
mesh_terms: D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004566:Electrodes; D052578:Ionic Liquids; D036103:Nanotechnology; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D052578:Ionic Liquids; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D002482:Cellulose