Helical carbon films prepared by carbonization of polyacetylene without thermal decomposition

What is it about?

Carbon films being composed of twisted carbon nanofibrils, so-called, helical structures, has prepared from polyacetylene (PA) films having helical nanofibrils in the films. The helical PA films treated with iodine were able to be carbonized at high temperatures without thermal decomposition. We have called this carbonization method morphology-retaining carbonization. The helical PA film has a spiral morphology in which bundles consisting of nanofibrils with diameters ≲ 100 nm are twisted and concentically curled. After the carbonization of the iodine doped helical PA films, the spiral morphology and the structure of helical nanofibrils are retained.

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Why is it important?

As we all know, carbonization of polymeric materials at high temperatures accompanies usually thermal decomposition even in an inactive gas atmosphere. Lots of hydro-carbon gases having low molecular weights are released from the polymeric molecules due to the thermal decomposition at high temperatures. As a result, the original morphology (in the case of PA, helical structures as mentioned above) is destroyed, and the carbon yield becomes much low. However, the iodine-treatment before carbonization prevents PA films from thermally decomposing at high temperatures. We have found for the first time that iodine is able to have an effect on preventig organic polymers from thermal decomposition at high temperatures.

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