A facile fabrication of nanocomposites with dual conductive networks based on 3D nickel foam, 1D silver nanowires and 2D boron nitride nanosheets

Polymer materials with high thermal conductivity (TC) are from the request of current development in thermal management. The formation of three-dimensional (3D) thermally conductive networks of fillers in polymers matrix can substantially improve the TC of composites. Here, epoxy composites with dual conductive networks were prepared by combining two-dimensional boron nitride nanosheets (2D BNNS), one-dimensional silver nanowires (1D AgNW) and 3D nickel foam (NF). The obtained nanocomposites BNNS/AgNW/NF/EP exhibited a maximum TC of 1.23 W m −1  K −1 , an improvement of 583% in comparison with neat epoxy resin. The storage modulus E′  and glass transition temperature T g of the composites had also been improved significantly. At the same time, the presence of NF could impart the nanocomposites excellent electrical conductivity about ~ 10 5  Sm −1 . This dual-networks strategy can be applied to the preparation of both thermally and electrically conductive nanocomposites for specific multi-functionalized thermal management materials.