Effect of LiCl on the structure of electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers

Electrospinning is a relatively simple method to produce nanofibers from polymers and polymer solutions or melt.If the solution is insulating completely,or the applied voltage is not high enough so that electrostatic force cannot overcome the surface tension,no fiber can be produced by electrospinning.However,if some salt is added in the solution,the problem can be overcome.The diameter of nanofibers electrospun with polyacrylonitrile(PAN) solutions with different mass percentage of LiCl ranges from large to small: 4%LiCl3%LiCl2%LiCl1%LiCl.Characterization of the microstructure of the electrospun fibers was performed by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectrum.The added salts are beneficial for electrospinning and won′t change the structure of PAN nanofibers.