Process and characterization of cellulose nanocrystal reinforced polyacrylonitrile composite nanofibers from electrospinning

Electrospinning is a very effective method to produce micron/submicron diameter fiber mats. These mats provide high surface area gain introduced by the very small diameter fibers and are utilized in in a broad range of fields, such as energy storage, sensor, health and environment. Many researchers have been investigating the process, properties and applications of fiber mats produced from electrospinning technique; however, the quickly developing the nanotechnology field require fundamental understanding of single fibers characteristics as well as those of mats. Recent technological advancements allow researchers to capture, manipulate and test single electrospun fibers. In alignment with these efforts, this paper reports on mechanical and electrical characterization of electrospun single PAN fibers reinforced with NCCs(Nanocrystaline Cellulose). Paper investigates reinforcement effect introduced by the addition of of NCCs into the fibers and their effect on mechanical and electrical properties compared to that of unreinforced PAN fibers. Paper also discusses the new capture, manipulation and test techniques employed for these single fibers. The presented work has been conducted in Professor Frank Ko's Laboratory at the University of British Columbia in collaboration with University of Alberta.