Volume 137, Issue 30 e202504825
Forschungsartikel

Molecular-Level Interface Engineering and Additive-Induced Crystallinity Tuning for High-Performance Thermally Conductive Polymer Composites

Minwoo Rim

Minwoo Rim

Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea

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Huan Huu Pham

Huan Huu Pham

Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea

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Hyerim Lee

Hyerim Lee

Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea

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Jaeseok Hyeong

Jaeseok Hyeong

Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea

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Youngjae Wi

Youngjae Wi

Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea

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Dr. Jahyeon Koo

Dr. Jahyeon Koo

Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea

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Prof. Duy Thanh Tran

Prof. Duy Thanh Tran

Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea

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Prof. Seok-In Na

Prof. Seok-In Na

Department of Flexible and Printable Electronics and LANL-JBNU Engineering Institute-Korea, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea

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Dr. Dong-Gue Kang

Corresponding Author

Dr. Dong-Gue Kang

Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

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Prof. Kwang-Un Jeong

Corresponding Author

Prof. Kwang-Un Jeong

Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Department of Nano Convergence Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

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First published: 06 May 2025

Abstract

To boost up the properties of thermally conductive polymer composites, it is essential to conduct comprehensive research focused on interface engineering between the polymer matrix and fillers. Hexagonal boron nitride (BN) or expanded graphite (EG) are commonly utilized as nanofillers to improve the thermal conductivity of polymer composites. However, the interfacial interactions between the polymer matrix and nanofillers are generally weak, making effective thermal conductivity challenging. To address this issue, we have designed and synthesized an electron-rich and aromatic tetrathiafulvalene-based reactive mesogen (TRM), which not only possesses high thermal conductivity but also exhibits excellent interfacial affinity with BN and EG at the molecular level. Systematic experiments, including photophysical, thermodynamic, structural, and computational analyses, reveal that the thermal conductivity of TRM-based polymer composites is substantially enhanced due to effective interfacial interactions between TRM and fillers. The TRM composites experimentally show excellent thermal conductivity based on enhanced interfacial phonon transfer, and these results are supported by theoretical interpretations. These findings underscore the critical importance of interface engineering between the polymer matrix and fillers at the molecular level in maximizing the material properties of polymer composites.

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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