We demonstrate the production of nonwoven mats of high-temperature organic and inorganic fibers by electrospinning. Specifically, glass/ceramic ͑tetraethylorthosilicate-SiO͒ and fire-blanket ͑polydiphenoxyphosphazene-PDPP͒ precursors are electrospun, and the resulting fibers are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and infrared ͑IR͒ spectroscopy. We find that the SiO fibers are smaller in diameter and more uniform than the PDPP fibers, and stable to higher temperatures. We also coat these fiber systems with several rare-earth nitrates, and find that these coatings can be used to selectively modify the near-IR spectra of the fibers. This work extends the use of electrospinning into two new classes of materials, and demonstrates that we can subsequently modify the optical properties of the electrospun fibers.
Tetraisopropyl titanate (TPT) was mixed with a solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and the solution electrospun into nanofibres. Thermal annealing at 900 • C was used to pyrolyse the PVP, leaving nanofibres of rutile-phase titania. Erbium (III) oxide particles were also added into the solution before electrospinning, and selectively modified the near-infrared optical properties of the titania nanofibres as verified by both absorption and emission spectra. We thereby demonstrate the production of high-temperature optically functionalized nanostructures that can be used in a thermophotovoltaic energy conversion system.
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