Fabrication of electrospun CuCr2O4 fibers

One-dimensional CuCr2O4 fibers were fabricated using the electrospinning method. This study examined the dependence of the fiber characteristics on the temperature, temperature rise rate, and metal source concentration. The structure of the fibers was characterized using X-ray diffraction, and the morphology of the fibers was studied using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. A fiber sintered at 500 °C exhibited a mixture of the Cr2O3 and CuCr2O4 phases; by contrast, sintering at 600–800 °C led to the formation of single-phase CuCr2O4. The average diameter of the fibers exceeded 500 nm. When the fiber was rapidly sintered at 700 °C for 5 and 10 min, secondary-phase Cr2O3 was detected, and upon increasing the sintering time to 15 to 30 min, single-phase CuCr2O4 formed. Rapid heat treatment substantially reduced the fiber diameter. When the fibers were rapidly sintered at 700 °C for 20 min, the minimum average diameter and the specific surface area of the fibers were 179 nm and 8.32 m2/g, respectively.