Flexible Janus Nanofibers: Facile Electrospinning Construction and Enhanced Luminescent-Electrical Magnetic Trifunctionality

Flexible luminescent-electrical-magnetic trifunctional Janus nanofibers have been successfully fabricated through electrospinning technology by using specially designed parallel spinnerets. The terbium complex [Tb(ba)(3)(phen)] (BA=benzoic acid, phen=1,10-phenanthroline), polyaniline (PANI), and Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were incorporated into polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and electrospun into Janus nanofibers with [Tb(ba)(3)(phen)]/PVP as one strand of the nanofiber and PANI/Fe3O4/PVP as another. The morphologies and properties of the final products were investigated in detail by XRD, SEM, TEM, fluorescence spectroscopy, Hall effect measurement system, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The [[Tb(ba)(3)(phen)]/PVP]//[PANI/Fe3O4/PVP] Janus nanofibers, with an average diameter of 180nm, simultaneously possess enhanced luminescent performance, electrical conduction, and magnetism. Fluorescence emission peaks of Tb3+ are observed in the [[Tb(ba)(3)(phen)]/PVP]//[PANI/Fe3O4/PVP] Janus nanofibers and assigned to the (D4F6)-D-5-F-5 (=491nm), (D4F5)-D-5-F-5 (=544nm), (D4F4)-D-7-F-5 (=585nm), and (D4F3)-D-5-F-7 (=620nm) energy-level transitions of Tb3+ ions; the (D4F5)-D-5-F-5 hypersensitive transition at =544nm is the predominant emission peak. The electrical conductivity of Janus nanofibers reaches up to the order of 10(-3)Scm(-1). The luminescent intensity, electrical conductivity, and magnetic properties of Janus nanofibers can be tunable by adjusting the amounts of rare-earth complex, PANI, and Fe3O4 NPs present. This new type of luminescent-electrical-magnetic trifunctional Janus nanofiber holds potential for a variety of applications, including molecular electronics, microwave absorption, and future nanodevices, owing to their excellent fluorescence, electrical conduction, and magnetism.