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The application of pH-sensitive dye molecules onto textile materials is a promising method for the development of sensor materials. Ten commonly used pH-indicators, namely sulfonphthaleine dyes, are applied onto polyamide 6 using two distinct methods: conventional dyeing of fabrics and dye-doping of nanofibres. The influence of the substituents of each dye on their interaction with polyamide, as well as the difference between both application methods is investigated. For the conventionally dyed fabrics, halogen substituents are needed to result in a pH-sensitive fabric. This can be traced back to halogen bonding and is supported by theoretical simulations. Dye-doped nanofibrous non-wovens show significant dye leaching, which can be understood based on the very acidic electrospinning solution. The use of a complexing agent improves the leaching properties, especially for dyes containing four bromine substituents. These findings indicate the importance of halogen substituents on sulfonphthaleines for further research in the development of pH-sensitive sensors.

This paper discusses the melting behaviour and crystal structure of electrospun (polymorphous) polyamide (PA) fibres and presents the importance of the heating rate used for their study by thermal analysis. A case study of PA6, PA46 and PA69 nanofibres is performed using a Rapid Heat-Cool DSC (RHC), a fast-scanning calorimeter capable of controlled heating rates above 1000 K min−1. Thermal lag becomes significant at scan rates above 500 K min−1 and the ideal scan rate for analysis of the crystal structure depends on the PA type. Measurements at the most suitable heating rate indicate that the thermal stability of the crystals is higher for nanofibres compared to bulk material. Additionally, more stable crystals are favoured in finer nanofibres. This is especially the case for PA6 nanofibres, having an increasing fraction of stable α-crystal phase with decreasing fibre diameter, as shown by both thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction.