In this study
we have successfully demonstrated the synthesis of
porous polymer
/
polymer derived
carbon nanofibers
from two block copolymer systems. In first
case
poly(styrene
-
block
-
methylmethacrylate) (PS
-
b
-
PMMA)
of
three different molecular
weights
were
used to produce
nanofibers with different morphologies.
Various
electrospinning parameters such
as
applied potential difference,
distance
between
spinneret and co
llector,
flowrate
and the concentration of polymer in an organic
solvent
we
re optimized to get fine fibers. Fibers thus obtained were annealed to
undergo a microphase separation
followed
by UV exposure
treatment
which causes
crosslinking of
one
phase and at the same time degradation of another phase. The
degraded phase
was
then
etched out using a weak acid
to obtain the desired porosity
.
The porous fibers thus obtained were characterized using
field emission electron
microscopy (
FESEM
)
and
fouri
er transmission infrared spectroscopy (
FTIR
)
.
Wettability studies were also carried out for the different morphologies. In
second
case
a blend of a homopolymer
(polyacrylonitrile (PAN))
and a
copolymer
(
poly(
a
crylonitrile
-
block
-
methylmethacrylate) (PAN
-
b
-
P
MMA
))
was electrospu
