Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chulalongkorn University, 2012

In this research, ultra-fine fibers of polymer – conductive polymer blend, polymer – nanoparticle and polymer – conductive polymer – nanoparticle nanocomposite are fabricated, characterized, and investigated. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/ poly(styrenesulfonate) blended with silver nanoparticles and correlated morphology are studied in details including the shapes and sizes of ultra-fine fibers. Electrospinning processes are considered as ultra-fine nanocomposite fibers of polymer-conductive polymer-nanoparticle formation. (This specific technique requires a syringe with a needle, a high voltage unit, and an aluminum foil (screen) as a collector.) The fabrication conditions for the electrospinning processes in the synthesis of ultra-fine nanocomposite fibers in this study are initially summarized whereby voltages between 12.5-22.5 kV are applied on a collecting distance of 15 cm in 5 minutes for random fiber formation and 20, 30, and 45 minutes of both aligned single fiber and aligned fiber mat formation which are generated from PVA blended with various PEDOT/PSS and AgNPs concentrations. The fiber diameters resulting from these permutations by the researcher in this review varied from 0.1 µm to 0.33 µm. This research illustrates the ultra-fine electrospun nanocomposite fibers of polymer-conductive polymer-nanoparticle which conduct higher electrical conductivity when loading higher PEDOT/PSS, and AgNPs concentrations to form ultra-fine fibers. The range of conductivity is varied from 4.23 to 92.18 S/cm, under the aligned single fibers technique, and from 1.94 to 13.57 S/cm, under the aligned fiber mat technique.