Fabrication of SnO2 and SiO2 nanoparticle-embedded carbon nanofiber composites via co-electrospinning

Abstract

Carbon nanofiber (CNF) composites composed of SnO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles in the CNF were fabricated via a co-electrospinning method, and the weight percentage ratio of the SnO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles to the CNF was controlled to investigate their morphology and structural properties. Their structural characteristics and chemical compositions were shown by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and bright-field transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping results showed that the SnO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles were well distributed in the CNF, implying the successful formation of CNF composites consisting of three types of phases. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.