Bioinspired modification of h-BN for high thermal conductive composite films with aligned structure.

With the development of microelectronic technology, the demand of insulating electronic encapsulation materials with high thermal conductivity is ever growing and much attractive. Surface modification of chemical inert h-BN is yet a distressing issue which hinders its applications in thermal conductive composites. Here, dopamine chemistry has been used to achieve the facile surface modification of h-BN microplatelets by forming a polydopamine (PDA) shell on its surface. The successful and effective preparation of h-BN@PDA microplatelets has been confirmed by SEM, EDS, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, and TGA investigations. The PDA coating increases the dispersibility of the filler and enhances its interaction with PVA matrix as well. Based on the combination of surface modification and doctor blading, composite films with aligned h-BN@PDA are fabricated. The oriented fillers result in much higher in-plane thermal conductivities than the films with disordered structures produced by casting or using the pristine h-BN. The thermal conductivity is as high as 5.4 W m(-1) K(-1) at 10 vol % h-BN@PDA loading. The procedure is eco-friendly, easy handling, and suitable for the practical application in large scale.