Electrospinning preparation and high-temperature superconductivity of YBa2Cu3O7-x nanotubes

YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) nanotubes (NTs) with high-temperature superconductivity (HTS) were successfully synthesized by electrospinning. A solution of PVP and Y–Ba–Cu acetates was used as precursor in the electrospinning to get nanofibers (NFs). Considering the necessary conditions for NTs formation, a well-designed thermal treatment procedure was carried out to turn the as-spun NFs into NTs. The hollow structure and stoichiometric ratio of the YBCO NTs were validated through TEM and EDX analysis. Due to comparative characterizations of superconductivity between YBCO NTs and bulk sample, it can be concluded that YBCO NTs has HTS but with broader transition temperature width and higher resistance above onset temperature. These novel features were induced by phase slip mechanism and unique structure. This work provides a simple and efficient route to obtain YBCO NTs, which may have new transition properties and significant applications in further researches.