Colorful nanofibrous composite membranes by two-nozzle electrospinning

Abstract Colorful electrospun nanofibrous composite membranes were fabricated by a two-nozzle electrospinning apparatus. While loading two polyacrylonitrile (PAN) solutions with different primary colors (e.g., yellow and blue), the nanofibrous composite membrane of a secondary color (e.g., green) could also be created. Both fiber diameter and pore size of the membrane measured from SEM images were decreased by the incorporation of dye molecules compared with that of the original, uncolored membrane. The color characteristics of membranes were investigated with a spectrophotometer and were seen to be affected by the composition ratio of dye and PAN molecules as evidenced by the resolution values. The integration between dye and PAN molecules are very robust as verified by the long-term treatment of the colored membrane with water. Thus, the potential applications of the nanofibrous membrane can be envisioned in the fields of art, costume, and decoration.