Silver nanoparticles grown on the surface of PAN nanofiber: Preparation, characterization and catalytic performance

A convenient route, based on electrospinning is designed for the preparation of silver/polyacrylonitrile (Ag/PAN) composite nanofiber film. Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with uniform size were well dispersed on the surface of the PAN nanofiber (PANNF) through chelating effect. This method will be propitious to prevent Ag NPs from aggregation which is one of the most important things for defining their catalytic performance. Another advantage is that the prepared composite nanofiber film is extremely easy for catalyst recycling. The catalytic activity of Ag/PAN composite nanofiber film was tracked by ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed the functional groups. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) gave direct evidence that Ag NPs have dispersed on the surface of PANNF homogeneously. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) showed the presence of crystal Ag. X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) confirmed that there were chemical bonds and interaction between surface modified PANNF and Ag ions.