Electrospinning of PAH Nanofiber and Deposition of Au NPs for Nanodevice Fabrication

A new route for the formation of electrically conductive Au-PAH composite nanofibers using electrospinning and UV-irradiation techniques is being reported. Initially, we fabricated nonwoven PAH nanofibers (diameter similar to 400-150 nm) using electrospinning technique. The Au nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and deposited in situ onto the PAH fiber in the presence of 2 h of UV photoirradiation. The diameter of these fibers and deposition of Au NPs can be tuned just by controlling the physical parameters, concentration of polymeric solution during electrospinning, the concentration of HAuCl4 solution, and UV photoirradiation exposure time. The Au-PAH composite-based nanoelectronic device resulted in an Ohmic behavior with low resistance, confirming a continuous metallic structure. The proposed method is efficient, straightforward, reproducible, and robust. These conductive Au-PAH nanofibers can be applied for making building blocks in nanodevices and as a sensor in sensor technology.