Fabrication and electrical characterization of electrospun polyacrylonitrile-derived carbon nanofibers

Carbon nanofibers were produced from a polyacrylonitrile/N,N-dimethylformamide precursor solution by an electrospinning process and later pyrolysis at temperatures ranging from 500 to 1100 degrees C in an N-2 atmosphere for about 1 h. The morphological structure of the nanofibers was studied with scanning electron microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy images of carbonized polyacrylonitrile nanofibers without a gold coating showed that the carbonized polyacrylonitrile nanofibers possessed electrical properties. The thermal behavior of the nanofibers was studied with thermogravimetric analysis. An indirect four-point-probe method was used for the measurement of the conductivity of nanofiber mats. The conductivity increased sharply with the pyrolysis temperature. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.