Porous carbon nanofibers and manufacturing thereof

Abstract

Described herein are nanofibers and methods for making porous carbon nanofibers. The pores have of any suitable size or shape. The presence and/or ordering of the pores results in a high surface area and/or high specific surface area. Such carbon is useful in a number of applications where high surface area carbon is desirable.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for producing a mesoporous carbon nanofiber, the process comprising:
 a. electrospinning a fluid stock to produce a nanofiber, the fluid stock comprising a first polymer component and a second polymer component; and   b. thermally treating the nanofiber to produce a mesoporous carbon nanofiber.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first polymer component carbonizes upon the thermal treatment and the second polymer component is a sacrificial polymer component. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first polymer component carbonizes upon the thermal treatment and the second polymer component is sacrificed upon the thermal treatment. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of first polymer to second polymer present in the fluid stock is 10:1 to 1:10. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the weight ratio of first polymer to second polymer present in the fluid stock is 10:1 to 1:4. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein thermally treating the nanofiber comprises thermally treating the nanofiber at a temperature of at least 500° C. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein thermally treating the nanofiber comprises a first thermal treatment at a temperature between 50° C. and 500° C. and a second thermal treatment at a temperature of at least 500° C. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first polymer comprises a polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyvinylacetate (PVA), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), cellulose, or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the second polymer comprises a polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyvinylacetate (PVA), cellulose acetate, cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose, nafion, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second polymer components comprise PAN and PEO, PAN and CDA, PAN and PVA, PAN and nafion, or PAN and PVP. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second polymer components comprise UHMWPE and PEO, UHMWPE and CDA, UHMWPE and PVA, UHMWPE and nafion, or UHMWPE and PVP. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein electrospinning is co-axially gas-assisted. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising compressing the nanofiber during thermal treatment. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the mesoporous carbon nanofiber has a non-microporous pore size distribution centered around a pore diameter of between 10 nm and 100 nm. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 14 , wherein the non-microporous size distribution is centered around a pore diameter of between 20 nm and 50 nm. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the incremental pore area of the mesopores is about 50 m 2 /g to about 200 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the incremental pore area of micropores of the mesoporous carbon nanofiber is less than 100 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         18 . A polymer nanofiber comprising (i) a matrix material comprising a first polymer component, and (ii) discrete domains comprising a second polymer component. 
     
     
         19 . A mesoporous carbon nanofiber having a non-microporous pore size distribution centered around a pore diameter of between 10 nm and 100 nm, and having a incremental mesporous area of about 50 mg 2 /g to about 200 mg 2 /g. 
     
     
         20 . The mesoporous carbon nanofiber of  claim 19 , having a non-microporous pore size distribution centered around a pore diameter of between 20 nm and 50 nm, and having a incremental microporous area of less than 100 mg 2 /g.