Summary
Combining the electrical conductivity of polyaniline (PANi) with the processability of a carrier polymer and the exceptional properties of graphene is a promising route to functional nanofibers for sensing and electronics. In this study, core–shell nanofibers are produced by coaxial electrospinning, using a core of PANi loaded with graphene that has been non-covalently functionalized with 1-pyrenebutanoic acid succinimidyl ester (G-PBASE), and a shell of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Feeding the conductive PANi/G-PBASE core and the PMMA shell through a coaxial spinneret yields fibers with a distinct core–shell architecture, where the protective PMMA sheath surrounds the graphene-filled conductive core. The functionalized graphene improves dispersion and interaction within the PANi core, and the work characterises the resulting fiber morphology and structure achievable through this coaxial approach.