Preparation and pH‐sensitivity of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based porous hollow gel fibers

Polyacrylonitrile based porous hollow gel fibers were prepared from PAN hollow fibers by oxidation and subsequent alkaline treatment. Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses showed that the PAN porous hollow gel fiber was a kind of amphoteric fiber due to the combination of cationic groups of pyridyl and anionic groups of carboxyl; after gelation the hollow channel and finger‐like pores on the fiber walls were conserved. The effects of cyclization reaction degree, alkaline solution concentration, and alkaline treatment time on the mechanical properties or pH‐sensitive behavior of the porous hollow gel fibers were investigated. The elongation/contraction behavior was studied in detail. It was found that the gel fiber exhibited a large swelling in an alkaline solution and contracting in an acid solution; the swelling change in length was above 90%; the responsive time of elongation/contraction was less than 20 s; the maximum contraction force was 20 N/cm²; and pH‐sensitivity was reversible. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008