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Abstract

This study explores the properties of electrospun nanofibers of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) blended with chlorophyll, which have potential applications in photovoltaic manufacturing. Different chlorophyll concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, and 0.25 wt.%) were added to the electrospinning solutions of PMMA and acetone. After the electrospinning procedure and the evaporation of acetone, the fibers contained the chlorophyll concentrations of (0, 0.31, 0.63, 0.94, 1.25, and 1.56 wt.%). Rheology, Fourier Transformation Infrared Radiation, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy characterized the resulting fibers. The results revealed that chlorophyll increased the solution's viscosity and decreased the nanofibers' diameter up to 0.8 wt.%. The most uniform nanofibers were obtained at 0.31 wt.% chlorophyll, with an average diameter of 11.66 ± 7.3~nm. Higher chlorophyll concentrations led to larger and more irregular nanofibers and increased band gap. Chlorophyll concentrations above 1~wt.% produced undesirable fibers with beads. The study determined the optimal range of chlorophyll concentration for PMMA nanofibers (0--0.8 wt.%) and investigated the effect of chlorophyll on the viscosity, diameter, band gap, and morphology of the nanofibers. The study provides useful information for researchers and developers who want to use PMMA/chlorophyll nanofibers for various purposes.

Keywords

Chlorophyll pigment, Electrospinning, Electrospun nanofiber, Polymer melts, Polymer solutions

First Page

588

Last Page

604

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Receive Date

9-11-2023

Revise Date

2-2-2024

Accept Date

2-4-2024

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