Multiscale Structural Modulation of Anisotropic Graphene Framework for Polymer Composites Achieving Highly Efficient Thermal Energy Management

Wen Dai; Le Lv; Tengfei Ma; Xiangze Wang; Junfeng Ying; Qingwei Yan; Xue Tan; Jingyao Gao; Chen Xue; Jinhong Yu; Yagang Yao; Qiuping Wei; Rong Sun; Yan Wang; Te-Huan Liu; Tao Chen; Rong Xiang; Nan Jiang; Qunji Xue; Ching-Ping Wong; Shigeo Maruyama; Cheng-Te Lin

doi:10.1002/advs.202003734

Multiscale Structural Modulation of Anisotropic Graphene Framework for Polymer Composites Achieving Highly Efficient Thermal Energy Management

Adv Sci (Weinh). 2021 Feb 19;8(7):2003734. doi: 10.1002/advs.202003734. eCollection 2021 Apr.

Authors

Wen Dai^{1

2}, Le Lv^{1

2}, Tengfei Ma³, Xiangze Wang⁴, Junfeng Ying^{1

2}, Qingwei Yan^{1

2}, Xue Tan^{1

2}, Jingyao Gao^{1

2}, Chen Xue^{1

2}, Jinhong Yu^{1

2}, Yagang Yao⁵, Qiuping Wei⁶, Rong Sun⁷, Yan Wang³, Te-Huan Liu⁴, Tao Chen^{1

2}, Rong Xiang^{8

9}, Nan Jiang^{1

2}, Qunji Xue^{1

2}, Ching-Ping Wong¹⁰, Shigeo Maruyama^{8

9}, Cheng-Te Lin^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) Chinese Academy of Sciences Ningbo 315201 P. R. China.
² Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 P. R. China.
³ Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Nevada Reno NV 89557 USA.
⁴ School of Energy and Power Engineering Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430074 China.
⁵ National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures Nanjing University Nanjing 210093 China.
⁶ School of Materials Science and Engineering Central South University Changsha 410083 P. R. China.
⁷ Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen 518055 China.
⁸ Department of Mechanical Engineering The University of Tokyo 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8656 Japan.
⁹ Energy Nano Engineering Laboratory National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Tsukuba 305-8564 Japan.
¹⁰ School of Materials Science and Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA.

Abstract

Graphene is usually embedded into polymer matrices for the development of thermally conductive composites, preferably forming an interconnected and anisotropic framework. Currently, the directional self-assembly of exfoliated graphene sheets is demonstrated to be the most effective way to synthesize anisotropic graphene frameworks. However, achieving a thermal conductivity enhancement (TCE) over 1500% with per 1 vol% graphene content in polymer matrices remains challenging, due to the high junction thermal resistance between the adjacent graphene sheets within the self-assembled graphene framework. Here, a multiscale structural modulation strategy for obtaining highly ordered structure of graphene framework and simultaneously reducing the junction thermal resistance is demonstrated. The resultant anisotropic framework contributes to the polymer composites with a record-high thermal conductivity of 56.8-62.4 W m^-1 K^-1 at the graphene loading of ≈13.3 vol%, giving an ultrahigh TCE per 1 vol% graphene over 2400%. Furthermore, thermal energy management applications of the composites as phase change materials for solar-thermal energy conversion and as thermal interface materials for electronic device cooling are demonstrated. The finding provides valuable guidance for designing high-performance thermally conductive composites and raises their possibility for practical use in thermal energy storage and thermal management of electronics.

Keywords: junction thermal resistance; multiscale structural modulation; phase change composite; thermal interface material; vertically aligned graphene.