Electrospun blends comprised of poly(methyl methacrylate) and ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose functionalized with perichromic dyes

Abstract Ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose (EHEC) was modified with 4–(2– (pyridin–4–yl)vinyl) phenol (PBM) and 4– [4–(dimethylamino)styryl]pyridine (DMASP), which are precursors of two well–known perichromic/fluorescent dyes, Brooker’s merocyanine (BM) and 4– [4–(dimethylamino)styryl]–1–methypyridinium iodide (DSMI). The EHECs were mixed with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to allow electrospinning and the nanofibers obtained were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, ATR–FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and fluorescence spectrophotometry and the absolute quantum yield and contact angle were determined. The PMMA/EHEC blends formed hydrophilic nanofibers, with high water absorption, in contrast to the pure PMMA nanofibers. PMMA/EHEC–PBM nanofibers exhibited cyan emission when excited in the UV region and PMMA/EHEC–DMASP showed intense green emission under excitation with laser in the blue region. Electrospinning of PMMA/modified EHEC in the proportion of 5:2 (wt/wt) provided nanochain–like nanofibers, which were verified by confocal microscopy. The potential for the use of the electrospun PMMA/EHEC–PBM nanofibers in the detection of CN− in water was demonstrated.