  Electrospinning in controlled nitrogen atmosphere is developed for the
realization of active polymer nanofibers. Fibers electrospun under controlled
atmospheric conditions are found to be smoother and more uniform than samples
realized by conventional electrospinning processes performed in air. In
addition, they exhibit peculiar composition, incorporating a greatly reduced
oxygen content during manufacturing, which favors enhanced optical properties
and increases emission quantum yield. Active waveguides with optical losses
coefficients lowered by ten times with respect to fibers spun in air are
demonstrated through this method. These findings make the process very
promising for the highly-controlled production of active polymer nanostructures
for photonics, electronics and sensing.
