Electrospinning of PAH nanofiber and deposition of Au NPs for nanodevice fabrication

A new route for the formation of electrically conductive Au-PAH composite nanofibers using electrospinning and UV-irradiation techniques is being reported. Initially, we fabricated nonwoven PAH nanofibers (diameter ∼100-150 nm) using electrospinning technique. The Au nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and deposited in situ onto the PAH fiber in the presence of 2 h of UV photoirradiation. The diameter of these fibers and deposition of Au NPs can be tuned just by controlling the physical parameters, concentration of polymeric solution during electrospinning, the concentration of HAuCl ₄ solution, and UV photoirradiation exposure time. The Au-PAH composite-based nanoelectronic device resulted in an Ohmic behavior with low resistance, confirming a continuous metallic structure. The proposed method is efficient, straightforward, reproducible, and robust. These conductive Au-PAH nanofibers can be applied for making building blocks in nanodevices and as a sensor in sensor technology.