Electrospinning of Functionalized Copolymer Nanofibers from Poly (Acrylonitrile-co-Methyl methacrylate)

Electrospinning has been recognized as a feasible process for fabrication of continuous fibers with diameters ranging from several micrometers to a few nanometers. In the present study, electrospinning of acrylonitrile (AN) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) copolymer in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent has been investigated. Poly(AN-co-MMA) nanofiber was modified and functionalized through introducing terminal amine groups by polyethyleneimine (PEI). Factors affecting the functionalizing process such as the PEI concentration and incubation time with PEI have been studied. Its influence on the amount of the coupled amine group in the nanofibers. PEI, with the highest concentration of amino groups, has been used as a carrier in a number of industrial immobilized bio-systems. The poly(AN-co-MMA) nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, thermal characterization, and FT-IR spectroscopic analysis, before and after the functionalization process