We have demonstrated the feasibility of using electrospinning method to fabricate long and continuous composite nanofiber sheets of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) incorporated with zinc oxide (ZnO). Such PAN/ZnO composite nanofiber sheets represent an important step toward utilizing carbon nanofibers (CNFs) as materials to achieve remarkably enhanced physico-chemical properties. In an attempt to derive these advantages, we have used a variety of techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD) to obtain quantitative data on the materials. The CNFs produced are in the diameter range of 100 to 350 nm after carbonization at 1000℃. Electrical conductivity of the random CNFs was increased by increasing the concentration of ZnO. A dramatic improvement in porosity and specific surface area of the CNFs was a clear evidence of the novelty of the method used. This study indicated that the optimal ZnO concentration of 3 wt% is enough to produce CNFs having enhanced electrical and physico-chemical properties.

• S.K. Nataraj(Carbon Materials Lab, Alan G. MacDiarmid Energy Research Institute, Chonnam National University)
• B.H. Kim(Carbon Materials Lab, Alan G. MacDiarmid Energy Research Institute, Chonnam National University)
• J.H. Yun(Carbon Materials Lab, Alan G. MacDiarmid Energy Research Institute, Chonnam National University)
• D.H. Lee(Carbon Materials Lab, Alan G. MacDiarmid Energy Research Institute, Chonnam National University)
• T.M. Aminabhavi(Carbon Materials Lab, Alan G. MacDiarmid Energy Research Institute, Chonnam National University)
• K.S. Yang(Carbon Materials Lab, Alan G. MacDiarmid Energy Research Institute, Chonnam National University)