Structure, Morphology and Thermal Stability of Porous Carbon Nanofibers Loaded with Cobalt Nanoparticles

Porous carbon/cobalt (C/Co) composite nanofibers with diameters of 200–300 nm were prepared by electrospinning and subsequent carbonization processes. Two polymer solutions of polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), and Co (CH ₃ COOH) ₂ (Co (OAc) ₂ ) were used as C/Co composite nanofiber precursors. The study revealed that C/Co composite nanofibers were successfully prepared and cobalt particles with diameters of 20–30 nm were uniformly scattered in the carbon nanofibers. It was also observed that clear fibrous morphology with grainlike particles and good structural integrity were still maintained after calcination. The TGA analysis indicated the improved thermal stability properties of the composite nanofibers. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis indicated that C/Co composites nanofibers with meso-pores possessed larger specific surface area than that of carbon nanofibers.