Fabrication and electrical characterization of electrospun polyacrylonitrile‐derived carbon nanofibers

Abstract 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°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. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007