Preparation and Adsorption Performance Study of PAN Composites and Their Derivatives Dataset

The dataset on the preparation and adsorption performance of PAN composites and their derivatives was completed in Xining, Qinghai Province, from April to October 2025. Polyacrylonitrile porous materials were synthesized via radical polymerization using dimethyl sulfoxide as solvent, azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator, and acrylonitrile as monomer. Subsequent processing involved drying in a vacuum freeze dryer, followed by pre-oxidation and carbonization in a tube furnace. Characterization techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), confocal Raman spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy were employed to investigate the adsorption performance of PAN and its derivatives toward solutions such as LiCl and methylene blue.Table 1 lists the nomenclature for PAN and its products synthesized with varying initiator masses, where rows denote different initiator masses and columns represent different substances. Table 2 lists the nomenclature for GO/PAN composites and their carbonized products, where rows denote graphene oxide (GO) loading and columns represent polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and its pre-oxidized/carbonized derivatives. Table 3 shows elemental compositions of PAN derivatives, GO/PAN composites, and their carbonized products, with rows indicating elemental content and columns representing material types.Table 4 summarizes key performance metrics of PAN-based lithium adsorption materials reported in the past three years. Rows indicate authors, material systems, adsorption capacity, selectivity, and cycle life, while columns represent different authors.Figure 1 shows photographs, microstructures, and infrared spectra of PAN-1 and 3. Figure 2 presents images, microstructures, and elemental distribution maps of P-PAN-1 and 3. Figure 3 displays Raman and infrared spectra of P-PAN-1, 2, and 3. Figure 4 shows microstructures, elemental distributions, and Raman spectra of C-PAN-1 and 3. Figure 5 presents XRD patterns of PAN-1, 3, and their derivatives. Figure 6 displays FTIR, XPS, and Raman spectra of GO. Figure 7 depicts microstructures and elemental distributions of pre-oxidized and carbonized GO/PAN composites. Figure 8 shows the color changes in solutions of methylene blue, methyl orange, and methyl red upon addition of P-PAN-1 and 3. Figure 9 depicts the color changes in MB, MO, and MR solutions after adding PAN preoxidation and carbonization products. Figure 10 illustrates the Li⁺ adsorption behavior of PAN and its preoxidation/carbonization products, along with the effect of GO on the conductivity of LiCl and water solutions.Figure 11 shows the relationship between GO content in the carbonized products of GO/PAN composites and their Li⁺ adsorption capacity.No data missing occurred in this dataset. Data were rounded to one significant decimal place, with the second decimal place rounded using the rounding method, resulting in minor data errors.