Fabrication, structures and properties of Acrylonitrile/Vinyl acetate copolymers and copolymers containing microencapsulated phase change materials

Fluorine-, Nitrogen-, and Boron-Functionalized Polymer Electrolytes for Advanced Lithium Metal Batteries

Polymer electrolytes (PEs) have emerged as alternatives to conventional liquid electrolytes in lithium metal batteries (LMBs) by addressing critical safety and performance challenges, including flame hazards, dendrite growth, and interfacial instability. While oxygen-based PEs, such as poly(ethylene oxide), have been widely investigated, their limited ionic conductivity and susceptibility to electrochemical degradation under high-voltage operation have prompted the exploration of heteroatom-functionalized PEs. Incorporating heteroatoms significantly enhances ion transport, electrochemical stability, and mechanical properties─all critical factors for robust and reliable LMB performance. This review focuses on fluorine-, nitrogen-, and boron-functionalized PEs, highlighting their distinctive features and design strategies for LMB applications. Recent developments and key design principles are summarized in the context of high-performance PEs for safer and more reliable LMBs for advanced energy storage applications.

Melt-Spinnable Polyacrylonitrile-An Alternative Carbon Fiber Precursor

The review summarizes recent advances in the production of carbon fiber precursors based on melt-spun acrylonitrile copolymers. Approaches to decrease the melting point of polyacrylonitrile and acrylonitrile copolymers are analyzed, including copolymerization with inert comonomers, plasticization by various solvents and additives, among them the eco-friendly ways to use the carbon dioxide and ionic liquids. The methods for preliminary modification of precursors that provides the thermal oxidative stabilization of the fibers without their melting and the reduction in the stabilization duration without the loss of the mechanical characteristics of the fibers are discussed. Special attention is paid to different ways of crosslinking by irradiation with different sources. Examples of the carbon fibers preparation from melt-processable acrylonitrile copolymers are considered in detail. A patent search was carried out and the information on the methods for producing carbon fibers from precursors based on melt-spun acrylonitrile copolymers are summarized.

Preparation and Stabilization of High Molecular Weight Poly (acrylonitrile-co-2-methylenesuccinamic acid) for Carbon Fiber Precursor

Bifunctional comonomer 2-methylenesuccinamic acid (MLA) was designed and synthesized to prepare acrylonitrile copolymer P (AN-co-MLA) using mixed solvent polymerization as a carbon fiber precursor. The effect of monomer feed ratios on the structure and stabilization were characterized by elemental analysis (EA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), proton nuclear magnetic (¹H NMR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for the P (AN-co-MLA) copolymers. The results indicated that both the conversion and molecular weight of polymerization reduce gradually when the MLA content is increased in the feed and that bifunctional comonomer MLA possesses a larger reactivity ratio than acrylonitrile (AN). P (AN-co-MLA) shows improved stabilization compared to the PAN homopolymer and poly (acrylonitrile-acrylic acid-methacrylic acid) [P (AN-AA-MA)], showing features such as lower initiation temperature, smaller cyclic activation energy, wider exothermic peak, and a larger stabilization degree, which are due to the ionic cyclization reaction initiated by MLA, confirming that the as-prepared P (AN-co-MLA) is the potential precursor for high-performance carbon fiber.