Preparation and characterization of oriented poly(vinyl alcohol)/carbon nanotube composite nanofibers

Oriented nanofiber mats blended with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are expected to be applied as cell seeding scaffolds. Biomaterials that are often used for cell seeding scaffolds generally have low mechanical strength and low electrical conductivity; thus, it has been difficult to apply them to tissues such as heart and nerve. In this study, we prepared oriented poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofiber mats blended with various CNT concentrations (up to 10 wt %) by electrospinning using the parallel plate electrodes as collectors with applied voltage. The morphology, mechanical properties, and electrical properties of the prepared oriented nanofiber mats were measured by using various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The tensile strength of the oriented nanofiber mats in the applied voltage direction increased from 2.5 to 9.7MPa with CNT concentration. Furthermore, the electrical conductivity of the oriented nanofiber mats in the applied voltage direction increased from 0.67 x 10(-7) to 4.3 x 10(-7) S.m(-1). Also, the mechanical strength and electrical conductivity of the oriented nanofiber mats in the applied voltage direction were 3-4 and 2-3 times higher than those in the perpendicular direction, respectively. (C) 2017 The Japan Society of Applied Physics