Surface functionalisation of polymer nanofibres by sputter coating of titanium dioxide

The surface properties of nanofibres are of importance in various applications. In this work, electrospun polyamide nanofibres were used as substrates for creating functional nanostructures on the nanofibre surfaces. A RF magnetron sputter coating was used to deposit the functional layer of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) onto the nanofibres. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) were employed to study the topography, grain structure and wetting of the nanofibre surfaces, respectively. The AFM results indicated a significant difference in the morphology of the nanofibres before and after the TiO₂ sputter coating. The XRD analysis showed the amorphous structures of the TiO₂ deposition layer. XPS spectra reflected the chemical features of the deposited nanostructures. The ESEM observation revealed that the surface wettability of TiO₂ sputter coated nanofibres was significantly improved after UV irradiation.