Nanocomposites of chito-oligosaccharide grafted boron nitride nanosheets/carboxymethyl cellulose for thermal management of flexible electronic devices
摘要
A sustainable and scalable strategy for fabricating high-quality chito-oligosaccharide (COS)-functionalized boron nitride nanosheets (COS-g-BNNSs) was first developed via COS-assisted ball milling combined with ultrasonication. The method achieved an 85% yield of COS-g-BNNSs with an aspect ratio of ~ 400, layers of 10 ~ 15 and minimal structural defects. COS grafting (15 wt%) introduced hydrophilic -NH2 and -OH groups, ensuring pH-independent aqueous stability (pH < 3 or > 4) through synergistic steric hindrance and electrostatic repulsion. The amphoteric nature of COS-g-BNNSs (pHzpc = 3.8) facilitated nanosheets’ homogeneous dispersion in carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), forming vertically aligned thermal pathways via hydrogen bonding. The resulting CMC/COS-g-BNNSs nanocomposite films exhibited exceptional thermal and mechanical properties: a through-plane thermal conductivity of 2.44 W/(m·K) (60-fold higher than that of pure CMC), tensile strength of 16.5 MPa (302% improvement), and Young’s modulus of 41.1 MPa (856% enhancement), while retaining flexibility (48.3% elongation). Thermal management tests demonstrated a 20 °C reduction in the operating temperature of COS-g-BNNSs-incorporated circuits, alongside stable performance under cyclic bending. This eco-friendly approach utilized water-based purification and biodegradable components, positioning the COS-g-BNNSs/CMC nanocomposites as promising substrates for flexible electronics, balancing high thermal conductivity, mechanical robustness, and environmental sustainability.