Abstract: A method of preparing a porous carbon material is provided. The method comprises a) freezing a liquid mixture comprising a polymer suspended or dissolved in a solvent to form a frozen mixture; b) removing the solvent from the frozen mixture to form a porous frozen mixture; and c) pyrolyzing the porous frozen mixture to obtain the porous carbon material. A porous carbon material prepared using the method, and uses of the porous carbon material are also provided.

Abstract: A conductive carbonaceous fiber is provided, comprising a carbonaceous material obtained from carbonizing an electrospun fiber wherein said fiber comprises at least one conductive metal precursor. The electrospun fibers can be formed into fibrous mats during spinning, stabilization and carbonization that are conductive materials which can be used to make stretchable conductors for flexible electronic devices. The invention relates also to the process for making the fibers, corresponding elastomeric fibrous mesh/polymer composites as well as use of these composites for making stretchable electrical conductors. The obtainable elastomeric composite films (with a thickness in the range of 0.8 to 1.5 mm) exhibit good electrical conductivity and excellent electromechanical stability under mechanical deformations (e.g. elongating, twisting and bending).

Abstract: There is provided a conductive fibrous material comprising a plurality of carbonaceous fibers, wherein each carbonaceous fiber is fused to at least one other fiber. The carbonaceous fibers may be fused at fiber-to-fiber contact points by a polymer. The process of making the conductive fibrous material comprises mixing a phenolic polymer with a second polymer to form a polymer solution, preparing phenolic fibers having nano- or micro-scale diameters by electrospinning the polymer solution, and subsequent carbonization of the obtained phenolic fibers, thereby generating carbonaceous fibers, wherein each carbonaceous fiber is fused to at least one other fiber. The conductive fibrous material may be useful in electrode materials for energy storage devices.