A simply prepared flexible SiBOC ultrafine fiber mat with enhanced high-temperature stability and chemical resistance

Abstract

Boron containing silicon-based ceramics with enhanced high-temperature stability have attracted great attention. An ultrafine and flexible silicon boron oxycarbide (SiBOC) fiber mat fabricated by electrospinning with a sol–gel system and subsequent pyrolysis is reported. The formation, composition and structure of the SiBOC fibers were studied by FT-IR, XRD, TG-MS, FE-SEM, HRTEM, XPS and MAS NMR. In comparison with the SiOC fibers, the SiBOC fibers showed better high-temperature stability. After being heated at 800 °C in air for 1 h, or immersed in 2 M NaOH and 1 M H₂SO₄ solutions for 24 h, the SiBOC fibers remained intact without of any detectable change. The SiBOC fibers illustrated superior amphiphilic affinity to water and xylene. Such a flexible SiBOC fiber mat may be of interest as a high-temperature catalyst support, LIB anode, capacitor, and so on.