Microstructures and electrothermal characterization of aromatic poly(azomethine ether)-derived carbon films

摘要

We report the microstructural evolution and electrothermal properties of aromatic poly(azomethine ether) (PAME)-derived carbon films, which were fabricated by a facile spin-coating and following carbonization at different temperatures of 300-1,000 degrees C. For the purpose, poly[3-(4-nitrilophenoxy)phenylenenitrilomethine-1,3-phenylenemethine] (mPAME) with a high residue of similar to 56.4 wt% after carbonization at 1,000 degrees C was synthesized for a polymeric precursor for carbon films. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that the molecular structures of mPAME films changed into an intrinsically nitrogen-doped graphitic structure, dominantly at the carbonization temperatures of 800-100 degrees C. The electrical conductivity increased considerably from similar to 10(-7) S/cm for mPAME-derived films fabricated at 300-700 degrees C to similar to 10(0) S/cm for the film carbonized at 800 degrees C to similar to 10(1) S/cm for the films carbonized at 900-1,000 degrees C. Accordingly, mPAME-derived carbon films, which were carbonized at 900-1,000 degrees C, exhibited excellent electrothermal performance, such as rapid temperature responsiveness, high maximum temperatures, and high electric power efficiency to relatively low applied voltages of 5-13 V.