Electrospinning of polymer nanofibers containing carbon nanotubes filled with iron nanowires

Abstract

This paper reports the formation of ferromagnetic polymer nanofibers using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) filled with iron nanowires (Fe@CNTs) by an electrospinning method. The solution of polymer in which CNTs filled with Fe@CNTs were dispersed was used for the electrospinning of the fibers. Polymer nanofibers that contain Fe@CNTs were successively formed by electrospinning. The polymer nanofibers showed hard ferromagnetic characteristics originating in Fe@CNTs that have ferromagnetic property due to the shape magnetic anisotropy of Fe nanowires with high-aspect-ratio shapes encapsulated in the CNTs. It is expected that the ferromagnetic polymer nanofibers will have various applications, such as magnetic shields, flexible magnets, electronic devices, etc.