Silver nanoparticle deposited boron nitride nanosheet/nanofibrillated cellulose composites with enhanced thermal conductivity

As modern electronics move towards miniaturization, high-degree integration and multifunctionalization, a large amount of heat will be generated during the operation of electronic devices. Redundant heat will cause the failure of electronic devices. One important solution is to fabricate thermally conductive composites to replace conventional packaging materials. Herein, we report on fabrication of silver nanoparticle deposited boron nitride nanosheet/nanofibrillated cellulose composite with a high cross-plane thermal conductivity up to 1.31 Wm^-1K^-1. The silver nanoparticle can reduce the interface thermal resistance between adjacent boron nitride nanosheets by playing a bridge-connected role, resulting in more thermal conductive pathways inside the boron nitride nanosheet/nanofibrillated cellulose composite. In addition, the incorporation of silver does not destroy the electric insulation of the pristine boron nitride nanosheet/nanofibrillated cellulose composite. This strategy opens a new insight for the fabrication of polymer-based materials with enhanced thermal conductivity.