Carbon black immobilized in electrospun chitosan membranes

Cross-linked, non-woven fibrous membranes were successfully electrospun from carbon black-chitosan solutions. Morphology changes with increasing amounts of carbon black were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Chemical structure, conductance, and crystallinity of the fibrous membranes were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), AC impedance spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. We hypothesize that even at 62.5 wt% loading of carbon black the particles are chelated and immobilized within the fibers by the natural polymer, chitosan. After cross-linking using glutaraldehyde vapor, all carbon black-chitosan membranes exhibited chemical stability in aqueous, acidic, and basic solutions for at least 20 days.