Electrospun fibers for ferric ion (Fe3+) detection were prepared from solutions of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(vinyl chloride-co-vinyl acetate-co-vinyl alcohol) ((90 : 4 : 6), PVC terpolymer), and pyrene. The effects of PVC terpolymer content (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40% by weight of PMMA) and electrospinning conditions on fiber size and morphology were studied using scanning electron microscopy. Uniform fibers were obtained from all compositions, and fiber sizes slightly increased with PVC terpolymer content. At 40% PVC, fiber breakage and pyrene clusters were observed. The suitable pyrene content in electrospun fibers was found to be 20%. The ratio of fluorescence intensities of fibers with 30% PVC and 20% pyrene before and after (F-0/F) immersion in 1.0 mM Fe3+ solution was 1.36. The effect of Fe3+ concentrations (0-5.0 mM) on quenching ability was investigated. An excellent Stern-Volmer quenching relationship was found with K-SV of 2.26 x 10(2)M. Fibrous sensor exhibited a highly sensitive response toward Fe3+ over Cu2+, Mg2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, and Ag+. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3205-3211, 2013