Segmented metallized electrospun fibers with high flexibility and electrical conductivity

本课题的主题是制备部分金属化的静电纺纤维的二维和三维支架。部分金属化将通过沿纤维长轴的分割来实现。纤维表面将显示在交替的金属和聚合物表面，从而产生分段结构。这将增强纤维的柔韧性，但在金属化部件之间仍有足够的接触，以确保支架的导电性。由此产生的结构将代表具有高金属导电性和机械柔韧性的新型电极。当然，这种类型的电极将找到许多应用，将在本提案的最后工作包中进行探讨。实现这种新型电极的关键有两个里程碑：1。采用逐层涂层法和2.制备了分段离子改性纤维。用不同的方法对分段纤维的金属化进行了研究。对于项目的这两个关键部分，我们有出色的前期准备工作，并与Yoon教授（高丽大学）的团队有出色的合作伙伴。我们将一起探讨不同的金属化方法，并详细研究这一过程，以获得对这种有前途的微尺度功能聚合物/金属杂化结构方法的基本理解。值得一提的是，我们的合作伙伴尹教授将研究部分金属化的支架作为水分解和水净化的电极，这是尹教授小组的特殊专长。

The topic of this proposal is the preparation of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional scaffolds of electrospun fibers which are partially metallized. The partial metallization will be achieved by segmentation of the fibers along the fiber long axis. The fiber surface will display in alternating metal and polymer surfaces which results in segmented structures. This will lead to enhanced flexibility of the fibers but still sufficient contacts for perclation between the metallized parts to assure electrical conductivity of the scaffold. The resulting structures will represent new types of electrodes which show high metallic conductivity in combination with mechanical flexibility. Surely, this type of electrodes would find numerous applications which will be probed in the final working package of this proposal. Key for achievement of this new type of electrodes are 2 milestones: 1. The preparation of segmented ionically modified fibers by layer-by-layer coating and 2. The metallization of the segmented fibers by different methods. For both of these crucial parts of the project we have excellent prework and an excellent cooperation partner with the group of Prof. Yoon (Korea University). We will probe together different methods of metallization and investigate the process in detail in order to gain a fundamental understanding of this promising approach to microscaled functional polymer/metal hybrid structures. It should not remain unmentioned that our cooperation partner, Prof. Yoon, will probe the partially metallized scaffolds as electrodes in water splitting and water purification which is a special expertise of the Yoon group.