Enhanced thermal conductance at the graphene-water interface based on functionalized alkane chains.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Thermal Engineering

Background:

• Efficient thermal transport across graphene-water interfaces is vital for applications like heat dissipation, solar steam generation, and desalination.
• Current methods for enhancing graphene-water thermal transport are limited, hindering practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a practical and universal method for improving thermal transport at multilayer graphene-water interfaces.
• To investigate the mechanism behind enhanced heat transport at the molecular level.

Main Methods:

• Grafting functionalized groups onto multilayer graphene surfaces.
• Measuring interfacial thermal conductance using advanced techniques.
• Conducting molecular-level simulations to understand heat transfer mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Achieved an enhancement factor of approximately 4 in thermal transport properties.
• Reported the highest interfacial thermal conductance of 121.0 ± 11.4 MW m⁻² K⁻¹.
• Demonstrated compatibility with industrial manufacturing processes.

Conclusions:

• Functionalizing graphene surfaces is an effective strategy to significantly enhance thermal transport across graphene-water interfaces.
• The developed method offers a scalable solution for improving thermal management in various applications.
• This research provides fundamental insights into interfacial heat transfer at the nanoscale, paving the way for novel material designs.