Using of sonochemically prepared SbSI for electrospun nanofibers

A novel polymeric, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers containing ferroelectric and semiconducting antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) have been made by electrospinning. SbSI nanowires, used as the filler, have been prepared sonochemically from antimony sulphide (Sb2S3) and antimony tri-iodide (SbI3) for the first time. Nanocrystalline SbSI has been fabricated in ethanol under ultrasonic irradiation (20 kHz, 565 W/cm2) at 323 K within 2 h. The products have been characterized by using techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction and optical diffuse reflection as well as transmission spectroscopy. The good quality of the nanocrystals and their dispersion in the nanofiber's volume is important because this material is attractive for nanogenerators due to its ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. The amplitude of the voltage pulse, generated under shock pressure of 3.0 MPa, has reached 180 V in the prototype PAN/SbSI piezoelectric nanogenerator. The peak output voltage of about 0.2 V was measured in bending/releasing conditions with the deformation frequency of 1 Hz.