Investigation of the effects of concentration and voltage on the physicochemical properties of Nylon 6 nanofiber membrane

Abstract

The nanofibers of Nylon 6 at different concentrations 14 wt%, 16% wt%, and 18 wt% were fabricated using electrospinning method. The effect of concentration and voltage on the morphology of the nanofibers were assessed through the utilisation of FTIR, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy AFM, scanning electron microscopy SEM, and EDS techniques. A study on the Nylon 6 molecule using DFT (Density Functional Theory) was conducted. Nylon 6 optimized molecular structure, featuring an amine group and nitrogen atom for electrophilic reactions, exhibits high kinetic stability with a measured band gap energy of 6.60 eV and electronic chemical potential of -3.83. The diameter of the fibres increased from 76.91 to 81.98 nm when the concentration and voltage were further increased, with the respective weight percentages of 14 wt% and 18 wt%. This work reveals the influence of concentration and voltage on the physical and chemical characteristics of nylon-6 NFM and its quantum electronic properties.