Preparation and characterization of electrospun SiO2 nanofibers.

The objective of this study was to prepare and characterize electrospun SiO2 nanofibers for composite (particularly dental composite) applications. We investigated (1) tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the alkoxide precursor, (2) polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as the carrying polymers, (3) several solvents for making the spin dopes, and (4) the morphological and structural properties of the electrospun SiO2 nanofibers and their relationship with the pyrolysis temperatures. We also investigated the morphology durability of the prepared SiO2 nanofibers by subjecting them to vigorous ultrasonic vibrations.