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. 2020 May 1;12(5):1020.
doi: 10.3390/polym12051020.

Electrospun Anion-Conducting Ionomer Fibers-Effect of Humidity on Final Properties

Manar Halabi  1 , Meirav Mann-Lahav  1 , Vadim Beilin  1 , Gennady E Shter  1 , Oren Elishav  1   2 , Gideon S Grader  1   2 , Dario R Dekel  1   2
Affiliations

Electrospun Anion-Conducting Ionomer Fibers-Effect of Humidity on Final Properties

Manar Halabi et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

Anion-conducting ionomer-based nanofibers mats are prepared by electrospinning (ES) technique. Depending on the relative humidity (RH) during the ES process (RHES), ionomer nanofibers with different morphologies are obtained. The effect of relative humidity on the ionomer nanofibers morphology, ionic conductivity, and water uptake (WU) is studied. A branching effect in the ES fibers found to occur mostly at RHES < 30% is discussed. The anion conductivity and WU of the ionomer electrospun mats prepared at the lowest RHES are found to be higher than in those prepared at higher RHES. This effect can be ascribed to the large diameter of the ionomer fibers, which have a higher WU. Understanding the effect of RH during the ES process on ionomer-based fibers' properties is critical for the preparation of electrospun fiber mats for specific applications, such as electrochemical devices.

Keywords: electrospinning; fibrous morphology; ionomer; polymer fibers; relative humidity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
SEM images of ionomer fibers electrospun at RHES range of 20%–50%. All SEM images taken at ×5000 magnification. (a) 20% RHES, (b) 30% RHES, (c) 40% RHES and (d) 50% RHES.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Fibers’ diameter distribution of ionomer fibers electrospun under a relative humidity (RHES) range of 20%–50%. (a) 20% RHES, (b) 30% RHES, (c) 40% RHES and (d) 50% RHES.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Fibers’ average diameter vs. RHES (calculated from data in Figure 2).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Scheme of electrospun fibers during their flight towards the collector at different RHES: (a) 20%, (b) 30%, and (c) 40–50%.
Figure 5
Figure 5
(a) Water vapor absorption isotherms and (b) characteristic time constant, τ, for electrospun ionomer mats. All tests were done at 40 °C. RH—relative humidity.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Bromide TP anion conductivity at 40 °C vs. RH for electrospun ionomer fibers prepared at different RHES.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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