Photoluminescent electrospun fibrous mats for UV detector cards

The present paper describes the implementation of electrospinning technique to manufacture (polymeric-nonwoven) fibrous-mats (with micrometric/nanometric fibers) as photosensitive region. These mats are tailored and assembled in UV-A radiation detection cards.  The selective photoluminescence of our mats is due to the Europium ions (Eu 3+ , Eu +2 ) added as Europium nitrate to a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) matrix. The electrospinning-equipment operation-parameters such as applied voltage (10 kV), distance from needle tip to collector plate (17 cm), and precursor-solution flow-rate (0.45 mL/h) are determined from the solution of a unidimensional model comprising three differential equations. The manufactured photoluminescent mats average-fiber-diameter is 1.3 ± 0.5 mm, with 76% void volume, average void-size of 7 mm, and average thickness of 350 mm. The photoluminescent mats sustain significant light absorption in the wavelength range of 245 to 350 nm and corresponding emission in the visible range of 400 to 650 nm.