Electrospun PAN nanofiber process control by ionic liquids and electromagnetic wave absorbing properties

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers involving Cr(NO3)3/Zn(CH3COO)2/IL additives were prepared as an electromagnetic interference shielding material by electrospinning. Adding an IL (ionic liquid) as an electrolyte to PAN solutions has been shown to facilitate the electrospinning process and significantly reduce electrospun fiber sizes. The influence of two different ILs, [C18 (mim)]+ Br− and [C18 (mim)]+ HSO4−, on electrospun fiber sizes was investigated. It was observed that the electrospun fiber sizes were strongly influenced by the type of anion. Epoxy resin-based one-layer composite coatings 4 mm thick were prepared employing electrospun fibers as absorbents in the matching and absorption layer. The spinel ZnCr2O4 nanofibers obtained after annealing at 600 °C for 3 h, exhibited markedly lower reflection loss than was obtained non-calcined samples. The microwave absorption properties were measured by a network vector analyzer working over a 5–12 GHz band.

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► The technique of fiber electrospinning was optimized by IL.
► Adding an IL to PAN solution has been shown to facilitate the electrospinning process.
► The microwave absorption properties were measured by a network vector analyzer.