Design of mesoporous carbon fibers from a poly(acrylonitrile) based block copolymer by a simple templating compression moulding process

Mesoporous carbon fibers were prepared by controlled pyrolysis of poly(vinyl acetate)-b-poly(acrylonitrile) (PVAc-b-PAN) copolymer located inside a cylindrical nanoporous template. A melt-compression method was developed to help the penetration of the infusible copolymer inside the template without the use of any solvent that ensures the formation of completely filled fibers instead of nanotubes. The influence of the composition of the PVAc-b-PAN copolymer and the heating rate during pyrolysis on the porous morphology of the fibers was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).