Direct Deposition of Micron-Thick Aligned Ceramic TiO2 Nanofibrous Film on FTOs by Double-Needle Electrospinning Using Air-Turbulence Shielded Disc Collector

• Main Authors: T. Krishnamoorthy, V. Thavasi, V. Akshara, A. Senthil Kumar, D. Pliszka, S. G. Mhaisalkar, S. Ramakrishna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2011-01-01
• Series: Journal of Nanomaterials
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/739241
• ISSN: 1687-4110; 1687-4129

One-dimensional (1D) metal oxides, typically nanowires and nanorods, have unique electronic and optical properties due to quantum phenomena that find applications in modern energy and electronic devices. We present here the electrospinning method that produces the aligned TiO2 nanofibres directly on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates mounted rotating disc collector. The aligned TiO2 ceramic nanofibres mat of 6 μm thickness is achieved in 4 h using a nonconductive enclosed-air-shield with air-hood design over the FTO mounted rotating disc collector. The aligned TiO2 nanofibers are found to retain its integrity and binding on FTO surface even after sintering at 500°C. SIMON 8 modeling package is used to determine the behaviour of the charged polymer/TiO2 jet when single and double needles are used for electrospinning process. The simulation study reveals that the repulsive force of the charged fibers from the double needle exerts stronger electric field distribution along the flow of stream that results in the reduction of the fibers diameter, which is about 28 nm than that of using single-needle system.