Nanofibers of lanthanide oxides produced by means of AC electrospinning

Micro scale metal oxide structures are widely used in electronics and chemical industry as effective selective catalysts. Typically, these are manufactured by physical or chemical vapor deposition or solution deposition techniques, combined with high temperature calcinations. The large surface area of such structures poses a major advantage over their macro-sized counterparts. Using electrospinning as a method of production enables reducing the dimensions of these materials down to nano scale, while being easy to use and well controllable method. Micro and nanofibers of lanthanide oxides structures with general formula of Ln(2)O(3) (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Gd, Ho, Er) were produced from the precursors of metal-nitrates and metal-citrates in PVA solution, using the alternating-current (AC) electrospinning with specially modified layout. The product was collected in a form of loose, cotton candy-like structure and was afterwards annealed in air at 800 degrees C. The resulting fibers were then analyzed using a scanning electron microscope and their morphology and dimensions were evaluated. The diameters of fibers produced from nitrates as precursors were typically in a range of 383 +/- 81 nm, while fibers from citate precursors formed highly porous fibers with boundary diameter of 312 +/- 67 nm and individual grains size of 52 +/- 8 nm. Using a specific precursor concentration, production of hollow, porous ceramic nanofibers was also achieved. Materials produced this way may find applications in hybrid nanomaterials, composite materials, catalysts and medicine.