Effect of Ce3+ on the morphology, composition, and thermal properties of single and core-shell polyethylene oxide electrospun fibers

Cerium polymeric composites have novel applications in fuel cells, optical devices, gas sensors, catalysis, ultraviolet absorbers, hydrogen storage materials, and biomedicines. This study reports the fabrication of low-cost electrospun single and core-shell polyethylene oxide (PEO) doped with Cerium fibers fabricated in two moisture ambients. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy revealed that obtaining the thinnest average fiber diameter requires 47-52 %RH and 2 % Cerium dopant. Using a PEO capping (shell fiber) allows the increment of Cerium in the inner matrix (core-fiber) to produce non-beading continuous fibers with 3.5% of the dopant. The undoped single or core-shell fibers presented a 52.7 to 54.2 % crystallinity, indecently of relative humidity used during the fabrication process. In contrast, the use of Cerium dopant up to 2% induces an increase in their crystallinity due to the formation of Ce-O species, enhancing their thermal properties, regardless of the moisture during manufacturing as was found with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis.