Dielectric Properties and Flexibility of Polyacrylonitrile/Graphene Oxide Composite Nanofibers

Energy storage and modern electronics industries are in essential need of high dielectric and highly flexible materials. In this study, polyacrylonitrile and reduced graphene oxide (PAN/GO) were prepared by electrospinning. The composite morphology produced a homogeneous, smooth, and flexible surface with high tensile strength and durability. The diameter of the fibers in the composite mats ranged from 232 to 592 nm. The X-ray diffraction pattern recording displayed a sharp peak characteristic centered between 20 and 30 degrees angles with a maximum degree of crystallinity of 86.23%. The evaluation of the Fourier-transform infrared spectrum indicated the interaction between GO and PAN through hydrogen bonds. The differential scanning calorimetry measurements confirmed that GO acted as a nucleating agent that improves the thermal stability of the composite. The dielectric properties exhibited the relative permittivity of the composite of 86.4 with a dielectric loss (tan delta) of 4.97 at 10(2) Hz, and the maximum conductivity was achieved at 34.9 x 10(-6) Sm-1 at high frequencies.