Electrospinning of nickel oxide nanofibers: Process parameters and morphology control

• Nickel oxide nanofibers were synthesized via electrospinning.
• Fiber diameter and roughness depend on nickel acetate concentration used.
• With increasing nickel acetate concentration the roughness of nanofibers decreased.
• XRD and TEM revealed a polycrystalline structure of the nanofibers.

In the present work, nickel oxide nanofibers with varying morphology (diameter and roughness) were fabricated via electrospinning technique using a precursor composed of nickel acetate and polyvinyl alcohol. It was found that the diameter and surface roughness of individual nickel oxide nanofibers are strongly dependent upon nickel acetate concentration in the precursor. With increasing nickel acetate concentration, the diameter of nanofibers increased and the roughness decreased. An optimum concentration of nickel acetate in the precursor resulted in the formation of smooth and continuous nickel oxide nanofibers whose diameter can be further controlled via electrospinning voltage. Beyond an optimum concentration of nickel acetate, the resulting nanofibers were found to be ‘flattened’ and ‘wavy’ with occasional cracking across their length. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that the obtained nanofibers are polycrystalline in nature. These nickel oxide nanofibers with varying morphology have potential applications in various engineering domains.