Abstract This work provides a convenient strategy for preparation of conducting polycaprolactone (PCL)/polyaniline (PAni) nanofibers, useful for development of optoelectronic sensors and devices. PCL/PAni nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning technique and characterized by SEM, FTIR, thermal analysis, and DC electrical conductivity. The influence of the experimental conditions in the electrospinning process, such as the applied voltage, on the nanofiber morphology was discussed in detail. Incorporation of PAni into PCL nanofibers significantly increased the electrical conductivity from a non-detectable level for the neat PCL to 0.032 ± 0.022 S/cm for the nanofibers containing 7.5 wt.% PAni. Therefore, electrospun PCL/PAni nanofiber mats presented optical and electrical properties, that awaken the possibility of applications for these materials as acid-base sensors and electrochromic devices.

Neste trabalho foram preparados nanocompósitos baseados em quitosana e diferentes tipos de argilas usando polietileno glicol (PEG) como plastificante. As amostras foram caracterizadas por espectroscopia de infravermelho (FTIR), difração de raios X (DRX), análise termogravimétrica (TGA/DTG), e por análise mecânica (ensaio de tração) com o objetivo de avaliar as interações entre a quitosana e a argila. Os filmes de nanocompósitos preparados usando Bentonita sódica (Ben) apresentaram um aumento de 81,2% no valor da tensão máxima de ruptura e uma redução de 16,0% no módulo de elasticidade (Young) em relação aos filmes de quitosana com PEG (QuiPEG), evidenciando que a introdução da argila na matriz polimérica resultou em um filme mais flexível e resistente, cujo alongamento na ruptura foi 93,6% maior que o apresentado pelo filme de QuiPEG.

In this work nanocomposites based on chitosan and different clays were prepared using polyethyleneglycol (PEG) as plasticizer. The samples obtained were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG) and by mechanical characterization (tensile test) with the aim of investigating the interactions between chitosan and clay. The nanocomposite films prepared using sodium bentonite (Ben) showed an increase of 81.2% in the maximum tensile stress values and a decrease of 16.0% in the Young's modulus when compared to the chitosan with PEG (QuiPEG) films, evidencing that the introduction of the clay into the polymer matrix provided a more flexible and resistant film, whose elongation at break was 93.6% higher than for the QuiPEG film.