Silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) fibers were produced through the electrospinning of the solution containing vinyltrimethoxysilane and tetraethoxysilane in the course of sol-gel reaction with pyrolysis to ceramic. The effect of the amount of spinning agent Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on the dope spinnability was investigated. At a mass ratio of PVP/alkoxides = 0.05, the spinning sol exhibited an optimal spinnable time of 50 min and generated a large quantity of fibers. Electrospun fibers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermo gravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The SEM results revealed that the SiOC fibers had a smooth surface and dense cross-section, free of residue pores and cracks. The XPS results gave high content of SiC (13.99%) in SiOC fibers. The SiOC fibers prepared at 1000 degrees C had a high tensile strength of 967 MPa and Young's modulus of 58 GPa. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.