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In-situ polymerization is an effective method for integrating co-catalysts homogeneously into the polymer matrix. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-derived highly graphitized carbon is a state-of-the-art material with diverse applications, including materials for energy storage devices, electrocatalysis, sensing, adsorption, and making structural composites of various technologies. Such highly graphitized materials can be effectively obtained through in-situ polymerization. The addition of external catalysts during in-situ polymerization not only enhances the polymerization rate but also facilitates the degree of graphitization and quality of graphitic carbon upon graphitization at moderate temperatures. In this study, we apply an in-situ polymerization technique to integrate aluminum triflate (Al(OTf)₃) and zirconocene dichloride (C₅H₅)₂ZrCl₂ co-catalyst into a boronated polyacrylonitrile (B-PAN) matrix. The in-situ polymerization ensures the uniform distribution of the co-catalyst without aggregation, facilitating the formation of a well-ordered graphitic structure at a moderated temperature. Boronated polyacrylonitrile (B-PAN) solutions, with and without co-catalyst (Al(OTf)₃, (C₅H₅)₂ZrCl₂ or both) were prepared through polymerization process, dried in an oven, and then subjected to graphitization at 1250 °C with a heating rate of 1 °C min⁻¹ for 1 h under an N₂ atmosphere. The resulting graphitic carbon was characterized to determine the impact of co-catalyst on the degree of graphitization. This study provides valuable insights into synthesizing high-quality graphitic carbon materials, offering promising pathways for their scalable production through the strategic use of in-situ polymerization and co-catalysis. These materials have potential applications in various fields, including environmental technologies, energy storage, and conversion, offering a pathway to design facile and economical graphitic carbon materials. Full article

Electrospun polymeric nanofibers have attracted great attention in filtration systems and protective clothes. One of them is polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers, which are a suitable choice for the fabrication of protective clothes in the defense industry, due to their good fiber formation and easy optimization with chemical reagents. They do not possess adequate properties for protection against chemical, biological, and radiological agents. In this research, poly (acrylonitrile-co-methyl methacrylate) (PANMM) nanofibers and PANMM nanofibers containing ¹⁰B were fabricated via the electrospinning method. The study of the morphology of nanofibers, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), revealed that smooth and knotted fibers with an average diameter of 259 ± 64 nm were obtained, using 12% (w/v) of PANMM in the solution as the optimal concentration for the electrospinning process. This sample was doped with boron (10%, 30%, and 50% (w/w)) to fabricate the samples of PANMM + boric acid (BA) nanofibers. The results demonstrated an increasing trend in the diameter of the nanofibers with an increase in BA up to 50%. At this concentration, smooth fibers were formed with lower knots. Furthermore, the presence of B-O and O-H groups was observed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. To study the tensile properties, the nanofibrous web was tested, and the results showed that introducing ¹⁰B to PANMM nanofiber structures reduced the strength of the nanofibers. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that BA-modified PANMM nanofibers had lower thermal degradability, as compared with pure PANMM. Full article