Plasma help preparation of electrospun carbon nanofibers

This work reports the fabrication and characterization of polyacrylonitril (PAN) nanofibers by electrospinning and further development of the as-spun PAN nanofibers into carbon nanofibers by using plasma help carbonization process. PAN nanofibers as a precursor of carbon nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning of PAN/DMF solution. The aligned electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were converted to carbon fibers under plasma conditions and high temperatures. Morphologies, structures and thermal properties of PAN, stabilized and carbonized nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), infrared spectrometer (IR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA).