Formation and characterization of ribbon-like RuO2/Ru fibers

• Ribbon-like RuO2/Ru fibers were produced by electrospinning.
• The solvent evaporation and PVP–RuNO(NO3)3 interaction played important role.
• Calcination of freeze-dried PVP–RuNO(NO3)3 foils yielded RuO2/Ru powder.

Experimental conditions for the formation of RuO2/Ru fibers by electrospinning were investigated. Samples were characterized by the FE SEM, XRD, FT-IR and Raman techniques. Round fibers were produced by electrospinning a viscous polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)–C2H5OH–H2O solution, whereas with the addition of RuNO(NO3)3, ribbon-like fibers were produced. Heating the ribbon-like fibers of PVP+RuNO(NO3)3 at 400 °C for 1 h yielded a RuO2/Ru composite with the preserved morphology of the precursor. The surface of the ribbon-like RuO2/Ru fibers showed a porous nano/microstructure. PVP+RuNO(NO3)3 foils, produced by freeze-drying the corresponding viscous solution, did not yield ribbon-like fibers upon heating at 400 °C for 1 h. This suggests that the formation of a ribbon-like morphology is the cumulative effect of solvent evaporation during the electrospinning of a viscous solution and the interaction of PVP with RuNO(NO3)3.