In Situ Growth of ZnO Nanocrystals from Solid Electrospun Nanofiber Matrixes

Porous fiber membranes consisting of 1D assemblies of ZnO nanocrystal-supported poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers are described. These hybrid nanofiber membranes were assembled by first electrospinning a ZnO precursor-containing PVA aqueous solution. Subsequently, the electrospun composite nanofibers were submerged in a basic ethanol solution. As a result, ZnO precursors in solid PVA matrixes were hydrolyzed to generate ZnO crystals residing on the fiber surfaces. Photoluminescence spectroscopy analysis demonstrated the as-hydrolyzed fiber membranes possess white luminescence. Furthermore, the ZnO-encapsulated PVA nanofibers were prepared by directly electrospinning a ZnO nanocrystal-containing PVA solution as the contrast of the as-hydrolyzed hybrid nanofibers. The surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) confirmed that the as-hydrolyzed hybrid fiber membranes had a strong SPS response, but the directly spun fiber membranes did not have any SPS response. This can be attributed to the favorable structur...