Systems having polymeric fibers with metallic nanoparticles thereon and methods of fabrication

Abstract

Systems and methods that entail polymeric fibers produced via an electrospinning process, and metallic nanostructures adhered to surfaces of the polymeric fibers via an electroless deposition process. Suitable materials for the polymeric fibers and metallic nanostructures include polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers and copper nanostructures, respectively.

1 . A method comprising:
 producing polymeric fibers via an electrospinning process; and   producing metallic nanostructures on and adhered to surfaces of the polymeric fibers via an electroless deposition process.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic nanostructures define discrete distributed nanoparticles on the surfaces of the polymeric fibers. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic nanostructures define a conformal coating on the surfaces of the polymeric fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing an alkaline hydrolysis treatment on the polymeric fibers prior to the electroless deposition process. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising pretreating the polymeric fibers with seed crystals of silver and/or palladium prior to the electroless deposition process. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising pretreating the polymeric fibers with seed crystals of transition or noble metals prior to the electroless deposition process and controlling the resulting metallic nanostructure distribution on the polymeric fibers by controlling the density of the seed crystals. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric fibers are polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers and the metallic nanostructures are copper nanostructures.