Premium
Branch‐Like Iron Nitride and Carbide Magnetic Fibres Using an Electrospinning Technique
Author(s) -
GarcíaMárquez Alfonso,
Glatzel Stefan,
Kraupner Alexander,
Kiefer Klaus,
Siemensmeyer Konrad,
Giordano Cristina
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201705585
Subject(s) - electrospinning , materials science , nanocomposite , calcination , crystallinity , carbide , ceramic , iron nitride , nanoparticle , catalysis , chemical engineering , nitride , magnetic nanoparticles , nanotechnology , composite material , polymer , chemistry , biochemistry , layer (electronics) , engineering
Fe 3 N and Fe 3 C nanocomposites have a wide range of applications thanks to their ceramic nature, magnetic properties, conductivity and catalytic activity, just to cite some. In many fields optimal performances are ensured by crystallinity, homogeneity and hierarchical organization. In the present paper, crystalline, magnetic and well‐defined nanofibres of iron nitride and iron carbide/carbon nanocomposite with tunable composition and size were prepared via electrospinning. The starting polymeric material was directly electrospun into fibres and then calcined, leading to a highly homogeneous final product of nanoparticles along the fibres (both outside and inside). A mechanistic study was undertaken and here discussed. The magnetic properties of the as‐prepared nanofibres were also studied. The as‐prepared final fibre mat composite material can serve as active catalyst, for example, in oxygen reduction reaction (where nanofibres outperformed mere nanoparticles), it can serve as functional support for classical catalytic processes or, thanks to its magnetic properties, can be applied in magnetic‐field assisted separation or as magneto‐active membranes.