Electrospinning of the laser dye rhodamine B-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) nanofibers

Abstract

The electrospinning of rhodamine B (RhB)-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is presented as a promising technique for processing photoluminescent nanofibers. Nanofibers with concentrations of RhB in PMMA between 0.05 and 2.0 wt. % were studied. The FTIR spectrum, fiber morphology, thermal properties and optical properties of the nanofibers were investigated. Smooth, bead-free and nonporous nanofibers were obtained. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results revealed that the glass transition temperature of the PMMA (Tg) increased with the increasing of RhB content up to 0.5 wt. % and thereafter decreased. The laser induced fluorescence (LIF) technique was used to study the fluorescence properties of the nanofibers. The maximum fluorescence emission was observed at a concentration of RhB of 0.2 wt. %. © 2014 SCS.