To enhance the flexibility of electrostatically spun PAN-based carbon nanofiber films for wearable textile applications, this study aimed to prepare PAN nanofiber films by incorporating the 1173 photoinitiator. Subsequently, UV irradiation, pre-oxidat...
To enhance the flexibility of electrostatically spun PAN-based carbon nanofiber films for wearable textile applications, this study aimed to prepare PAN nanofiber films by incorporating the 1173 photoinitiator. Subsequently, UV irradiation, pre-oxidation treatment, and high-temperature carbonization processes were employed to develop PAN nanofiber films with improved mechanical properties. The results indicated that UV irradiation treatment significantly promoted the degree of pre-oxidation reaction in PAN nanofiber membranes. Thermal performance characterization demonstrated that UV irradiation reduced the initiation temperature of the cyclization reaction and mitigated the concentration of exothermic phenomena. Raman spectra analysis revealed increased graphitization in the carbon nanofiber film following UV irradiation, as evidenced by a decrease in the ID/IG value to 0.908. This suggests that UV irradiation facilitated stable carbonization and enhanced the graphitization of the carbon fiber within PAN nanofiber films. Moreover, the stress–strain curve indicated that the breaking strength of the nanofiber film reached 1.45 MPa after 20 min of UV irradiation while maintaining an elongation at a break of 3.5%, demonstrating its remarkable strength and toughness. The resulting flexible carbon nanofiber film holds great potential for medical textiles, filtration membranes, flexible capacitors, and more applications.