Noncovalent Modification of Boron Nitrite Nanosheets for Thermally Conductive, Mechanically Resilient Epoxy Nanocomposites
Qingshi Meng, Sensen Han, Tianqing Liu, Jian Ma, Jian Ma, Shude Ji, Jiabin Dai, Hailan Kang, Jun Ma, Jun Ma
Abstract
Due to the rapid development of modern micro/nano electronic devices, polymer nanocomposites of high mechanical performance, and thermal conductivity and stability are increasingly important. We herein report a two-step process for preparation of ∼3 nm-thick boron nitride (BN) nanosheets through noncovalent modification by a surfactant Triton X-100, which improves the compatibility of the nanosheets with the matrix as well as their dispersion. TEM micrographs demonstrated that the modified BN nanosheets (m-BN) were relatively uniformly dispersed in epoxy matrix and some were connected with each other. At 2.14 vol % of m-BN, the glass-transition temperature (Tg) and adhesive toughness of neat epoxy were improved by 17% and 355%, respectively. At 4.93 vol %, the thermal conductivity of neat epoxy was remarkably increased to 0.65 W·m–1·k–1, an increment of 335%. In addition, the epoxy/m-BN nanocomposites exhibited high thermal stability, which holds a potential as thermal interface materials for the next generation of electronic devices.