Flexible Janus nanoribbons to help obtain simultaneous color-tunable enhanced photoluminescence, magnetism and electrical conduction trifunctionality

Abstract

A novel nanostructure of {[Eu(BA)₃phen + Tb(BA)₃phen]/PMMA}//[PANI/Fe₃O₄/PMMA] Janus nanoribbons with tunable luminescent–electrical–magnetic performance has been successfully fabricated by electrospinning technology using a specially designed parallel spinneret. The morphology and properties of the final products were investigated in detail by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), biological microscopy (BM), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), a Hall effect measurement system, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results reveal that the Janus nanoribbons simultaneously possess excellent luminescent performance, electrical conduction and magnetic properties due to the peculiar nanostructure of Janus nanoribbons. The luminescent–electrical–magnetic trifunctional Janus nanoribbons possess better performances than their counterpart [Eu(BA)₃phen + Tb(BA)₃phen]/Fe₃O₄/PANI/PMMA composite nanoribbons which exhibit very weak excitation and emission spectra. The fluorescence intensity of Janus nanoribbons is ca. 70 times higher than that of composite nanoribbons. The color, luminescent intensity, electrical conductivity and magnetic property of the Janus nanoribbons can be tuned by adjusting different amounts of rare earth complexes, PANI and Fe₃O₄ NPs, respectively. The obtained Janus nanoribbons have potential applications in molecular electronics, microwave absorption and display devices owing to their excellent trifunctionality. Moreover, the construction technique for the Janus nanoribbons is of universal significance for the fabrication of other multifunctional Janus nanoribbons.