Probing the Stability of Halogenated Carbon Atomic Wires in Electrospun Nanofibers via Raman Spectroscopy

Carbon atomic wires (CAWs) are one-dimensional (1D) sp-carbon nanostructures with remarkable electronic, mechanical, and optical properties, but their instability limits their practical applications. Embedding them in solid matrices can enhance their stability. This work reports the first example of electrospun nanofibers embedding halogenated CAWs. A solution of poly(methyl methacrylate) and CAWs in N,N-dimethylformamide was electrospun using various parameters to investigate the effects on fiber morphology and diameter. Halogenated CAWs were successfully incorporated with a minimal morphological impact. Raman spectroscopy confirmed effective embedding and CAWs stability during electrospinning. The halogenated CAWs showed resistance to degradation for at least six months and demonstrated enhanced thermal stability when embedded within nanofibers. Additionally, our work investigated the influence of different halogen terminations on the degradation kinetics of CAWs upon exposure to these conditions. Similarly, photodegradation studies revealed improved photostability within fibers and demonstrated how CAWs chemical structure affects degradation pathways, including possible homolytic C-X bond cleavage. This work introduces electrospun nanofibers as a novel platform for stabilizing CAWs, offering advantages over thin films, such as better homogeneity, larger surface area, and comparable stability. These findings open new perspectives for CAWs-based nanocomposites in electronics, electrochemistry, and energy-related applications.