Indium phosphide nanofibers prepared by electrospinning method: Synthesis and characterization

Nine sets of (3 x 3) InP nanofiber samples have been successfully prepared at three different voltages (20, 25, 30 kV) and at three separate heights (5, 7, 10 cm) by electrospinning with a constant precursor flow rate of 0.3 mLh(-1). The crystalline structure, thermal, morphologies and nanostructure, electrical, and optical properties of the samples are characterized by X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD) and thermal gravity-differential scanning calorimeter (TG-DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), by Four-Point Probe Technique (FPPT,) and ultraviolet/visible spectrometry (UV/VIS), respectively. From these measurements, we have found the formation of stoichiometric nanostructured InP with zinc-blende structure and having lattice parameter of a = 5.874 angstrom, weight loss of 64.59% and crystallization temperature of 500 degrees C, average fiber diameter of 65.82 nm, the activation energies, E-a, of the samples, and band gap energy, E-g, of the nanofibers developed at constant applied voltage 30 kV. The band gap energies determined at different distances 5, 7, and 10 cm are found to be as 1.29, 1.37, and 1.30 eV, respectively.