Morphologies and electrical properties of electrospun poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyvalerate]/ multiwalled carbon nanotubes fibers

Electrospinning process was used to fabricate fine fibers from poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyvalerate] embedded with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Rotating disc collector was used to provide additional drawing force to stretch and align both the embedded MWCNTs and electrospun fibers themselves. Morphological observation revealed MWCNTs aligned to the fiber axis and protruding from the surface. To understand the electrical properties of the fiber, a single-composite fiber has been deposited on a substrate, across multiple electrodes. Electrical conductivity of the single-electrospun fiber with low MWCNT content of 0.2 wt % was calculated to be in a remarkable magnitude of about 2.07 Sm⁻¹. Electrical current flow spanning the fiber length of 1400 μm indicates that the presence of an interconnected network of MWCNTs exists within the fiber.