Conformation and Dynamics of Atactic Poly(acrylonitrile). 2. Torsion Angle Distributions in Meso Dyads from Two-Dimensional Solid-State Double-Quantum 13C NMR

Impact of Alternative Stabilization Strategies for the Production of PAN-Based Carbon Fibers with High Performance

The aim of this work is to review a possible correlation of composition, thermal processing, and recent alternative stabilization technologies to the mechanical properties. The chemical microstructure of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is discussed in detail to understand the influence in thermomechanical properties during stabilization by observing transformation from thermoplastic to ladder polymer. In addition, relevant literature data are used to understand the comonomer composition effect on mechanical properties. Technologies of direct fiber heating by irradiation have been recently involved and hold promise to enhance performance, reduce processing time and energy consumption. Carbon fiber manufacturing can provide benefits by using higher comonomer ratios, similar to textile grade or melt-spun PAN, in order to cut costs derived from an acrylonitrile precursor, without suffering in regard to mechanical properties. Energy intensive processes of stabilization and carbonization remain a challenging field of research in order to reduce both environmental impact and cost of the wide commercialization of carbon fibers (CFs) to enable their broad application.

Sensitivity enhancement of double quantum NMR spectroscopy by modified CPMG

A modified Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) sequence for sensitivity enhancement of dipolar coupled homonuclear spin pairs in static solid-state NMR is presented. The modified CPMG block uses the Hahn-solid-Hahn echo as basic element of the CPMG echo train to refocus the homonuclear dipolar coupling and chemical shift anisotropy. The new CPMG sequence is dubbed as Hahn-solid-Hahn Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (HSHCPMG). We demonstrate a gain in signal to noise ratio of approximately 4.2 using HSHCPMG sequence in double quantum filtered CP experiment for 5%-(13)C(2)-(15)N-glycine. The resulting gain in sensitivity in the spikelet spectrum does not compromise the anisotropic information that is available from static NMR lineshapes. As an example, relative orientation angles of chemical shift anisotropy tensors for the alpha and carbonyl carbons in glycine are determined from the 2D DOQSY experiment recorded with the HSHCPMG block in the acquisition dimension. The resultant relative orientation angles of the two CSA tensors are compared to those obtained from 2D DOQSY experiment acquired without sensitivity enhancement as well as to the data as available from single crystal NMR experiments.