Preparation of porous carbon films from polyacrylonitrile by proton irradiation and carbonization

Porous carbon films (PCFs) are widely used in various application fields, such as separation and water desalination as well as energy storage and conversion. In this study, PCFs were prepared from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) by proton irradiation and carbonization. Porous PAN films were prepared by a non-solvent-induced phase separation process. The porous PAN films were irradiated with proton ions, and then carbonized in a tube furnace at various fluences under an inert atmosphere. It was found that pore structures were well maintained during proton irradiation and high-temperature carbonization processes. The Raman and XRD results showed that pseudo-graphitic structures were formed by the carbonization of proton irradiated porous PAN films. The electrical conductivity of the prepared PCFs increased with an increasing carbonization temperature due to the formation of more graphitic structures at a higher temperature.