Investigating the stabilization, nanostructural characteristics and electrochemical performance of preasphaltene/polyacrylonitrile composite based carbon nanofibers film using terephthalic acid

Preasphaltene (PA) in coal liquefaction residues is a major precursor for synthesizing carbon nanofibers film by electrospinning, stabilization and carbonization. In this study, terephthalic acid (TPA) was used as an additive in a spinning solution to improve the nanostructural and electrochemical performance of PA based carbon nanofibers (PACF). The effect of TPA on the stabilization, carbon nanostructural characteristics and electrochemical performance of the supercapacitors for PACF were characterized and evaluated. The results showed that TPA could promote the oxidation of PA and decelerate the weight loss rate of the stabilized fibers, affording a good fiber morphology and satisfactory flexibility. Furthermore, the introduction of TPA facilitated the generation of pore structures in carbon nanofibers, which heightened the specific surface area, resulting in an elevated specific capacity (204 F g-1 at 1 A g-1) alongside excellent cycling stability (97.5 % capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles at 2 A g-1).