Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers involving Cr(NO3)(3)/Zn(CH3COO)(2)/IL additives were prepared as an electromagnetic interference shielding material by electrospinning. Adding an IL (ionic liquid) as an electrolyte to PAN solutions has been shown to facilitate the electrospinning process and significantly reduce electrospun fiber sizes. The influence of two different ILs, [C-18 (mim)](+) Br- and [C-18 (mim)](+) HSO4-, on electrospun fiber sizes was investigated. It was observed that the electrospun fiber sizes were strongly influenced by the type of anion. Epoxy resin-based one-layer composite coatings 4 mm thick were prepared employing electrospun fibers as absorbents in the matching and absorption layer. The spinel ZnCr2O4 nanofibers obtained after annealing at 600 degrees C for 3 h, exhibited markedly lower reflection loss than was obtained non-calcined samples. The microwave absorption properties were measured by a network vector analyzer working over a 5-12 GHz band. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.