Pyrene-Functionalized PDMS Dispersant Enables High-Loading Graphite/PDMS Composites with Enhanced Thermal...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Next-generation electronics require efficient thermal management due to miniaturization and increased power density.
• Polymer nanocomposites are promising for thermal interface materials (TIMs) but face processability challenges at high filler loadings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop high-loading graphite/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites with enhanced thermal conductivity and processability.
• To design a pyrene-functionalized polydimethylsiloxane (PyPDMS) dispersant for improved graphite dispersion and rheological properties.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized pyrene-functionalized polydimethylsiloxane (PyPDMS) as an interfacial modifier.
• Incorporated PyPDMS into graphite/PDMS composites to reduce agglomeration and viscosity.
• Fabricated composites with up to 50 wt.% graphite loading and evaluated their thermal conductivity and rheological properties.

Main Results:

• PyPDMS dispersant significantly reduced composite viscosity by up to 1.6-fold.
• Achieved uniform composite fabrication with high graphite loadings (up to 50 wt.%) without compromising processability.
• Composites exhibited a 10.57% increase in thermal conductivity compared to those without PyPDMS, while maintaining flexibility.

Conclusions:

• The developed PyPDMS dispersant enables the fabrication of highly processable, high-loading graphite/PDMS composites.
• This approach offers a practical solution for advanced thermal interface materials (TIMs) in demanding electronic applications.
• The study highlights the potential of tailored interfacial modifiers for optimizing nanocomposite performance.