Capacitive Properties of the Binder‐Free Electrode Prepared from Carbon Derived from Cotton and Reduced Graphene Oxide

The binder‐free composite films of reduced graphene oxide (rGO ) and activated carbon derived from cotton (aCFC ) have been fabricated and used as electrodes for electrochemical capacitors (ECs ) to avoid the decrease of capacitive performance in traditional process caused by the additional binder. The optimal aCFC is prepared at 850 °C when the mass ratio of carbon and potassium hydroxide is 1 to 4. The optimal composite film prepared from the mass ratio of aCFC /GO =2/1 exhibits porous structure, and has a specific surface area of 849.6 m²•g⁻¹ and a total pore volume of 0.61 mL •g⁻¹. Based on the two‐electrode system testing in 6.0 mol/L KOH electrolyte, the optimal composite has specific capacitance of about 202 F•g⁻¹, 374 mF •cm⁻² and 116 F•cm⁻³ in terms of mass, area and volume, and shows excellent rate capability and good cyclic stability (91.7% retention of the initial capacitance after 5000 cycles). Furthermore, the assembled solid‐state ECs by using KOH /polyvinyl alcohol as electrolyte show good mechanical stability and capacitive performances after repeated bending cycles. It is proved that this method is effective to fabricate binder‐free electrodes for ECs and will open up a novel route for the reuse of waste cotton.     

Enhanced directional thermal conductivity of polylactic acid/polybutylene adipate terephthalate ternary composite filled with oriented and surface treated boron nitride

A combination of solution casting and melt extrusion technique was used to fabricate Boron nitride (BN)-filled Polylactic acid (PLA)/polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) blend composites. The BN particles were surface treated with a silane coupling agent and functionalization was confirmed via spectroscopic analysis. Field emission scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the BN surface treatment improved the particle adhesion with the polymer matrices and acted as a compatibilizer for the polymers. Moreover, changes in the particle orientation in the blend composite yielded improved thermal conductivity in different directions. The inclusion of the treated BN particles enhanced the in-plane (~1.1 W m⁻¹K⁻¹) and through-plane (~0.8 W m⁻¹K⁻¹) thermal conductivity of the composites as compared to the neat PLA. In addition, the storage modulus of the composite become more than 3 GPa that is twice that of the PLA/PBAT blend with a reasonable tensile property. In general, compared with the PLA/PBAT blend, the blend composites exhibited superior thermal and mechanical properties.     

Electrophoretic Deposition of Binder‐Free MnO2/Graphene Films for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Binder‐free, nano‐sized needlelike MnO₂ ‐submillimeter‐sized reduced graphene oxide (nMnO₂‐srGO ) hybrid films with abundant porous structures were fabricated through electrophoretic deposition and subsequent thermal annealing at 500 °C for 2 h. The as‐prepared hybrid films exhibit a unique hierarchical morphology, in which nMnO₂ with a diameter of 20—50 nm and a length of 300—500 nm is randomly anchored on both sides of srGO . When evaluated as binder‐free anodes for lithium‐ion half‐cell, the nMnO₂‐srGO composites with a content of 76.9 wt% MnO₂ deliver a high capacity of approximately 1652.2 mA •h•g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.1 A•g⁻¹ after 200 cycles. The high capacity remains at 616.8 mA •h•g⁻¹ (ca. 65.1% capacity retention) at a current density as high as 4 A•g⁻¹. The excellent electrochemical performance indicates that the nMnO₂‐srGO hybrid films could be a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs ).     

Preparation of Close‐Packed Silver Nanoparticles on Graphene to Improve the Enzyme Immobilization and Electron Transfer at Electrode in Glucose/O2 Biofuel Cell

In this study, chemical reduced graphene‐silver nanoparticles hybrid (AgNPs @CR‐GO ) with close‐packed AgNPs structure was used as a conductive matrix to adsorb enzyme and facilitate the electron transfer between immobilized enzyme and electrode. A facile route to prepare AgNPs @CR‐GO was designed involving in β ‐cyclodextrin (β ‐CD ) as reducing and stabilizing agent. The morphologies of AgNPs were regulated and controlled by various experimental factors. To fabricate the bioelectrode, AgNPs @CR‐GO was modified on glassy carbon electrode followed by immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx ) or laccase. It was demonstrated by electrochemical testing that the electrode with close‐packed AgNPs provided high GOx loading (Γ =4.80 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol•cm⁻²) and fast electron transfer rate (k _s=5.76 s⁻¹). By employing GOx based‐electrode as anode and laccase based‐electrode as cathode, the assembled enzymatic biofuel cell exhibited a maximum power density of 77.437 μW •cm⁻² and an open‐circuit voltage of 0.705 V.     

A MnOOH‐Polyaniline Nanocomposite Modified Gold Electrode for Electrochemical Sensing of Nitrite

A novel non‐enzymatic nitrite sensor was fabricated by immobilizing MnOOH‐PANI nanocomposites on a gold electrode (Au electrode). The morphology and composition of the nanocomposites were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM ) and Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR ). The electrochemical results showed that the sensor possessed excellent electrocatalytic ability for NO₂⁻ oxidation. The sensor displayed a linear range from 3.0 μmol•L⁻¹ to 76.0 mmol•L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.9 μmol•L⁻¹ (S/N = 3), a sensitivity of 132.2 μA •L•mol⁻¹•cm⁻² and a response time of 3 s. Furthermore, the sensor showed good reproducibility and long‐term stability. It is expected that the MnOOH‐PANI nanocomposites could be applied for more active sensors and used in practice for nitrite sensing.     

Friction and wear behavior of PI and PTFE composites for ultrasonic motors

High‐performance polymer‐based frictional materials have become increasingly important to improve the mechanical output properties of ultrasonic motors. This study discussed the friction and wear behavior of 2 dominating frictional materials of polymer composites for ultrasonic motors, polyimide (PI), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filled by aramid fibers (AF) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂). To explore the wear mechanisms, the tribo‐pair contact stress was theoretically characterized, and the interface temperature rise was numerically predicted. The predictions showed that the flash temperature on asperity tips could reach the glass transition temperature of the polymer materials. The experimental results indicated that the contact stress and sliding speed have a small effect on the friction of the PI composite but influence considerably the friction of the PTFE composite. A higher contact stress brings about a higher specific wear rate, but a higher sliding speed reduces the wear rate. Compared with AF/MoS₂/PTFE, the AF/MoS₂/PI has much better tribological performance under high loads and speeds.     

Investigating the mechanical,thermal and melt flow index properties of HNTs – LLDPE nano composites for the applications of rotational moulding

Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) is the one of the most popular polymer used for rotational moulding applications such as storage tanks. But, its inferior mechanical properties and thermal stability restrict the longer service. Hence, this study experimentally demonstrates the effect of Halloysite Nanotube (HNTs) concentration on LLDPE composites for enhancing the mechanical and thermal stability. HNTs were uniformly dispersed with LLDPE matrix through ultra-sonication, followed by compression moulding used to prepare the nano composites plates. The prepared composites are shown 19.2% improved tensile strength for 2 wt% HNTs, whereas 28.9% hike in flexural strength observed for 4 wt% HNTs composite, compare to neat LLDPE. Which shows that higher concentrations of HNTs is favourable in improving the flexural strength rather than tensile properties. In addition to that, higher concentrations of HNTs are also helping in improving the storage modulus of the LLDPE composites. The increase in mechanical properties mainly attributed due to effective load carriers (HNTs) in the composite. Besides, HNTs were also contributing for improving the melting point and residual char of the composites, which is indeed for storage tanks durability. The prepared composite was thermally stable at higher temperature up to 230 °C, because of HNTs chemical structure, the inner layer of HNTs constitute with Al₂O₃ and outermost layer constitute with SiO_2, both are thermally stable. Stated enhancement proves the potential effect of HNTs reinforcement in the LLDPE composite for rotational moulding applications.     

Amperometric Biosensor for Detection of Phenolic Compounds Based on Tyrosinase,N‐Acetyl‐L‐cysteine‐capped Gold Nanoparticles and Chitosan Nanocomposite

A novel biosensor was fabricated based on the immobilization of tyrosinase and N ‐acetyl‐L ‐cysteine‐capped gold nanoparticles onto the surface of the glassy carbon electrode via the film forming by chitosan. The NAC‐AuNPs (N ‐acetyl‐L ‐cysteine‐capped gold nanoparticles) with the average size of 3.4 nm had much higher specific surface area and good biocompatibility, which were favorable for increasing the immobilization amount of enzyme, retaining the catalytic activity of enzyme and facilitating the fast electron transfer. The prepared biosensor exhibited suitable amperometric responses at −0.2 V for phenolic compounds vs. saturated calomel electrode. The parameters of influencing on the working electrode such as pH , temperature, working potential were investigated. Under optimum conditions, the biosensor was applied to detect catechol with a linear range of 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ to 6.0 × 10⁻⁵ mol•L⁻¹ , and the detection limit of 5.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol•L⁻¹ (S /N =3). The stability and selectivity of the proposed biosensor were also evaluated.     

Impact of polypyrrole incorporation on nickel oxide@multi walled carbon nanotube composite for application in supercapacitors

In this article we report the synthesis of polypyrrole incorporated nickel oxide multi walled carbon nanotube (NiO@NMWCNT/PPy) composites by thermal reduction protocol for supercapacitor applications. The structural and morphological properties of the composites were confirmed by the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Field-emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM) analysis indicating the hexagonal crystal structure of NiO decorated on NMWCNT/Ppy. The electrochemical characteristics of the NiO@MWCNT/PPy composite were analyzed in the presence of 2 M KOH as an electrolyte. The NiO@NMWCNT/PPy nanostructured composite produced a plenty of active sites for ion migration reactions that facilitate the energy storage mechanism. As a proof of concept demonstration, the NiO@NMWCNT/PPy composite was explored as an electrode materials in supercapacitor and exhibited specific capacitance of 395 F g⁻¹ and cyclic stability up to 5000 cycles at 0.5 A g⁻¹. Enhanced performance of composite is attributed to the incorporation of polypyrrole in NiO@NMWCNT. The improved capacitance and cyclic stability demonstrated by the composite indicates the NiO@NMWCNT/PPy to be a promising candidate for supercapacitor applications.     

New polymer electrolyte membrane for medium-temperature fuel cell applications based on cross-linked polyimide Matrimid and hydrophobic protic ionic liquid

New hydrophobic protic ionic liquid, 2-butylaminoimidazolinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BAIM-TFSI), has been synthesized. The ionic liquid showed good thermal stability to at least 350 °C. The conductivity of BAIM-TFSI determined by electrochemical impedance method was found to be 5.6 × 10^?2 S/cm at 140 °C. Homogeneous composite films based on commercial polyimide (PI) Matrimid and BAIM-TFSI containing 30–60 wt% of ionic liquid were prepared by casting from methylene chloride solutions. Thermogravimetric analysis data indicated an excellent thermal stability of PI/BAIM-TFSI composites and thermal degradation points in the temperature range 377 °C–397 °C. The addition of ionic liquid up to 50 wt% in PI films does not lead to any significant deterioration of the tensile strength of the polymer. The dynamic mechanical analysis results indicated both an increase of storage modulus E′ of PI/BAIM-TFSI composites at room temperature and a significant E′ decrease with temperature compared with the neat polymer. The cross-linking of the PI with polyetheramine Jeffamine D-400 allowed to prepare PI/Jeffamine/BAIM-TFSI (50%) membrane with E′ value of 300 MPa at 130 °C. The ionic conductivity of this cross-linked composite membrane reached the level of 10^?2 S/cm at 130 °C, suggesting, therefore, its potential use in medium-temperature fuel cells operating in water-free conditions.     

Preparation of porous polyimide/in‐situ reduced graphene oxide composite films for electromagnetic interference shielding

Herein we report an easy and efficient approach to prepare lightweight porous polyimide (PI)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite films. First, porous poly (amic acid) (PAA)/graphene oxide (GO) composite films were prepared via non‐solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. Afterwards PAA was converted into PI through thermal imidization and simultaneously GO dispersed in PAA matrix was in situ thermally reduced to RGO. The GO undergoing the same thermal treatment process as thermal imidization was characterized with thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectra, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction to demonstrate that GO was in situ reduced during thermal imidization process. The resultant porous PI/RGO composite film (500‐µm thickness), which was prepared from pristine PAA/GO composite with 8 wt% GO, exhibited effective electrical conductivity of 0.015 S m^?1 and excellent specific shielding efficiency value of 693 dB cm² g^?1. In addition, the thermal stability of the porous PI/RGO composite films was also dramatically enhanced. Compared with that of porous PI film, the 5% weight loss temperature of the composite film mentioned above was improved from 525°C to 538°C. Moreover, tensile test showed that the composite film mentioned above possessed a tensile strength of 6.97 MPa and Young's modulus of 545 MPa, respectively. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The mechanical and electrical properties of carbon nanotube‐grafted polyimide nanocomposites

Polyimide (PI)‐based nanocomposites containing aminophenyl functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (AP‐MWCNTs) obtained through a diazonium salt reaction was successfully prepared by in situ polymerization. PI composites with different loadings of AP‐MWCNTs were fabricated by the thermal conversion of poly(amic acid) (PAA)/AP‐MWCNTs. The mechanical and electrical properties of the AP‐MWCNTs/PI composites were improved compared with those of pure PI due to the homogeneous dispersion of AP‐MWCNTs and the strong interfacial covalent bonds between AP‐MWNTs and the PI matrix. The conductivity of AP‐MWNTs/PI composites (5:95 w/w) was 9.32 × 10^?1 S/cm which was about 10¹⁵ times higher than that of Pure PI. The tensile strength and tensile modules of the AP‐MWCNTs/PI composites with 0.5 wt % of AP‐MWCNTs were increased by about 77% (316.9 ± 10.5 MPa) and 25% (8.30 ± 1.10 GPa) compared to those of pure PI, respectively. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 960–966     

Enhancement of thermal conductivity and tensile strength of liquid silicone rubber by three-dimensional alumina network

ABSTRACT

Rapidly increasing demands for higher integration density and stability of electronic devices embrace higher requirements for thermally conductive silicone rubber, which is promisingly used in ultra-thin components. In this work, alumina whiskers (AWs) and alumina flakes (AFs) are used to modify liquid silicone rubber (LSR) by fabricating binary (AFs/LSR) or ternary (AWs/AFs/LSR) composites. The thermal conductivity and mechanical strength of the binary and ternary composites were investigated. Thermal conductivity of the binary AFs/LSR composite (25AFs/LSR) was 0.1990 W m^?1 K^?1, while the thermal conductivity of the ternary AFs/AWs/LSR composite (20AFs/5AWs/LSR) was 0.2655 W m^?1 K^?1. Furthermore, the tensile strength of the ternary AWs/AFs/LSR composites increased by 180.9% as compared with the binary system, increased to 7.81 MPa from 2.78 MPa due to the introduction of 1 wt% AWs. As a reason, a significant synergistic effect of AWs and AFs in the enhancement of both thermal and mechanical properties of the LSR was proved. Furthermore, the dielectric property measurements demonstrated that the ternary composites exhibited a lower dielectric constant and dielectric loss, indicating that the AWs/AFs/LSR composites were qualified to be applied in the field of electronic devices.     

A comparative study on the effect of carbon fillers on electrical and thermal conductivity of a cyanate ester resin

Carbon fillers including multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), carbon black (CB) and graphite were introduced in a cyanate ester (CE) resin, respectively. The effects of the fillers on the electrical and thermal conductivity of the resin were measured and analyzed based on the microscopic observations. MWCNTs, CB and graphite exhibited percolation threshold at 0.1 wt%, 0.5 wt% and 10 wt%, respectively. The maximal electrical conductivity of the composites was 1.08 S/cm, 9.94 × 10⁻³ S/cm and 1.70 × 10⁻⁵ S/cm. MWCNTs showed the best enhancement on the electrical conductivity. The thermal behavior of the composites was analyzed by calorimetry method. Incorporation of MWCNTs, CB and graphite increased the thermal conductivity of CE resin by 90%, 15% and 92%, respectively. Theoretical models were introduced to correlate the thermal conductivity of the CE/MWCNTs composite. The interfacial thermal resistance between CE resin and MWCNTs was 8 × 10⁻⁸ m²K/W and the straightness ratio was 0.2. The MWCNTs were seriously entangled and agglomerated. Simulation results revealed that thermal conductivity of the CE/MWCNTs composites can be substantially elevated by increasing the straightness ratio and/or filler content of MWCNTs.     

Volume‐exclusion effects in polyethylene blends filled with carbon black,graphite, or carbon fiber

Conductive polymer composites possessing a low percolation‐threshold concentration as a result of double percolation of a conductive filler and its host phase in an immiscible polymer blend afford a desirable alternative to conventional composites. In this work, blends of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were used to produce ternary composites containing either carbon black (CB), graphite (G), or carbon fiber (CF). Blend composition had a synergistic effect on electrical conductivity, with pronounced conductivity maxima observed at about 70–80 wt % UHMWPE in the CB and G composites. A much broader maximum occurred at about 25 wt % UHMWPE in composites prepared with CF. Optical and electron microscopies were used to ascertain the extent to which the polymers, and hence filler particles, are segregated. Differential scanning calorimetry of the composites confirmed that the constituent polymers are indistinguishable in terms of their thermal signatures and virtually unaffected by the presence of any of the fillers examined here. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that CF imparts the greatest stiffness and thermal stability to the composites. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 1013–1023, 2002     

Effects of polylactic acid and rPET minor components on phase evolution,tensile and thermal properties of polyethylene‐based composite fibers

High mechanical performance and partially biodegradable PE‐composite fibers modified with polylactic acid (PLA) and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) minor components were prepared using melt extrusion and hot drawing process. Rheological properties, morphology, tensile, and thermal properties were investigated. All blends exhibited shear thinning behavior except for starting PLA and rPET. PLA and rPET dispersed phases appeared as droplets in as‐extruded strand, and PLA droplets were mostly larger than those of rPET. The fibrillation of both PLA and rPET domains was achieved after further hot drawing as the fiber. The morphology and tensile properties of the fibers mainly depended on the types and contents of dispersed phases including draw ratios. The ultimate strength of the polymer fibers at draw ratio of 20 was more than 600 times higher than that of the as‐spun sample of the same composition. Remarkable improvement in secant modulus and ultimate strength was found for PE‐30PLA, but the drawing process of this composition encountered some difficulties and rough surface of the fiber was observed. The stiffness and tensile stress for PE‐10PLA‐10rPET fiber were clearly improved when compared with PE and PE‐10PLA. A decrease in thermal stability of PE/PLA composites was observed with increasing PLA content whereas additional presence of rPET significantly increased the stability of the composites both in nitrogen and in air. PE/PLA/rPET fiber possessing high stiffness with good thermal stability prepared in this work has high potential for being utilized as structural parts for load‐bearing applications.     

Towards efficient electromagnetic interference shielding performance for polyethylene composites by structuring segregated carbon black/graphite networks

An electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composite based on ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) loaded with economical graphite-carbon black (CB) hybrid fillers was prepared via a green and facile methodology, i.e., high-speed mechanical mixing combined with hot compression thus avoiding the assistance of the intensive ultrasound dispersion in volatile organic solvents. In this composite, the graphite-CB hybrid fillers were selectively distributed in the interfacial regions of UHMWPE domains resulting a typical segregated structure. Thanks to the specific morphology of segregated conductive networks along with the synergetic effect of large-sized graphite flakes and small-sized CB nanoparticles, a low filler loading of 7.7 vol% (15 wt%) yielded the graphite-CB/UHMWPE composites with a satisfactory electrical conductivity of 33.9 S/m and a superior shielding effectiveness of 40.2 dB, manifesting the comparable value of the pricey large-aspect-ratio carbon nanofillers (e.g., carbon nanotubes and graphene nanosheets) based polymer composites. More interestingly, with the addition of 15 wt% graphite-CB (1/3, W/W) hybrid fillers, the tensile strength and elongation at break of the composite reached 25.3 MPa and 126%, respectively; with a remarkable increase of 58.1% and 2420% over the conventional segregated graphite/UHMWPE composites. The mechanical reinforcement could be attributed to the favor of the small-sized CB particles in the polymer molecular diffusion between UHMWPE domains which in turn provided a stronger interfacial adhesion. This work provides a facile, green and affordable strategy to obtain the polymer composites with high electrical conductivity, efficient EMI shielding, and balanced mechanical performance.     

Properties of ethylene propylene diene rubber/white and black filler composites cured by gamma radiation in presence of sorbic acid

The effect of incorporating sorbic acid (SA), an echo-friendly curing agent, and silica or carbon black (CB) filler, as well as gamma irradiation on the physico-chemical, mechanical and thermal properties of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM) was investigated. The results indicated that the developed composites revealed improvement in the studied parameters over the untreated samples. Filler incorporation into rubber matrix has been proven a key factor in enhancing the swelling resistance, tensile strength and thermal properties of the fabricated composites. The improvement in tensile strength and modulus was attributed to better interfacial bonding via SA. Alternatively, a comparison was established between the performance of the white and black fillers. The utmost mechanical performance was reported for the incorporated ratios 10 phr SA and 40 phr white filler into a 50 kGy irradiated composite. Meanwhile, the incorporation of CB yielded better thermally stable composites than those filled with silica at similar conditions.     

Sensitive immunoassay for the β-agonist ractopamine based on glassy carbon electrode modified with gold nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes in a film of poly-arginine

We are presenting an electrochemical immunosensor for the determination of the β-agonist and food additive ractopamine. A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with gold nanoparticles and a film of a composite made from poly(arginine) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Antibody against ractopamine was immobilized on the surface of the modified GCE which then was blocked with bovine serum albumin. The assembly of the immunosensor was followed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results demonstrated that the semicircle diameter increases, indicating that the film formed on the surface hinders electron transfer due to formation of the antibody-antigen complex on the modified electrode. Under optimal conditions, the peak current obtained by differential pulse voltammetry decreases linearly with increasing ractopamine concentrations in the 0.1 nmol•L⁻¹ to 1 μmol•L⁻¹ concentration range. The lower detection limit is 0.1 nmol•L⁻¹. The sensor displays good stability and reproducibility. The method was applied to the analysis of spiked swine feed samples and gave satisfactory results.

Immunoassay for ractopamine based on glassy carbon electrode modified with gold nanoparticles and a film of a composite made from poly (arginine) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes was proposed. Under optimal conditions, the peak currents obtained by differential pulse voltammetry decreases linearly with increasing ractopamine concentrations in the 0.1 nmol•L⁻¹ to 1 μmol•L⁻¹ concentration range. The detection limit is 0.1 nmol•L⁻¹.

     

Structure and properties of polyimide fibers containing benzimidazole and Amide Units

Co‐polyimide (co‐PI) fibers with outstanding mechanical properties were fabricated via thermal imidization of polyamic acids, derived from a new design of combining the amide and benzimidazole diamine monomers, 4‐amino‐N‐(4‐aminophenyl)benzamide (DABA) and 2‐(4‐aminophenyl)‐5‐aminobenzimidazole (BIA), with 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA). The crystalline structure and micromorphology of the prepared co‐PI fibers were investigated by synchrotron wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS). The two‐dimensional WAXD spectra imply that the co‐PI fibers possess a structure between smectic‐like and three‐dimensionally ordered crystalline phase, and all the obtained fibers are highly oriented along the fiber axis. SAXS patterns exhibit a pair of meridional scattering streaks for the homo‐PI (BPDA/BIA) fiber, suggesting the presence of periodic lamellar structure. The incorporation of DABA into the polymer chains destroyed the lamellar structure but led to smaller size of microvoids upon increasing DABA moiety, based on SAXS analysis. The co‐PI fibers, with the molar ratio of BIA/DABA being 7/3, exhibited the optimum tensile strength and modulus of 1.96 and 108.3 GPa, respectively, attributed to the well‐defined ordered and dense structure. The chemical structure and molecular packing significantly affected the thermal stability of fibers, resulting in the different glass transition temperatures (T_g) from 350 to 380 °C. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 183–191