Electrospinning of polymer nanofibers containing carbon nanotubes filled with iron nanowires

Abstract

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.