Needleless electrospun polyacrylonitrile/konjac glucomannan nanofiber mats

In this study we report for the first time about the preparation of polyacrilontrile (PAN)/konjac glucomannan (KGM) nanofiber mats, needleless electrospinning from the low-toxic solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and the formation of carbon nanocomposites. Konjac glucomannan is a biopolymer and renewable, environmentally friendly raw material and a well-known polysaccharide, which is non-toxic and biocompatible material and is extracted from the Amorphophallus konjac plant. The addition of poloxamer in electrospinning PAN/KGM solution resulted in the reduction of membrane areas and decrease of beads in nanofibers. The concentration of 1.5% or 0.5% of konjac glucomannan in PAN/KGM nanofiber mats was not detected to affect the morphology of the nanofiber mats. The PAN/KGM nanofiber mats received oxidative stabilization and subsequent carbonization. It could be observed that after the oxidative stabilization process the average diameter of PAN/KGM nanofibers increased and after carbonization decreased compared to stabilized nanofibers. Alternative renewable raw materials such as KGM electrospun with synthetic polymers offer the possibility to reduce the environmental impact and are the alternative to new technical materials and lowers the cost of carbon materials. The combination of PAN with konjac glucomannan and the properties of both polymers open up a wide range of applications for the PAN/KGM nanofiber mats and carbon nanocomposites produced in this study, for example, for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, as absorbents for the removal of pollutants in wastewater and as filter media for air purification, as well as for optical and chemical sensors.