Temperature-dependent adhesive polymer-based composites with shape adaptability and low thermal contact resistance for thermal management

This work presents a new concept of incorporating temperature-dependent reversible adhesion and shape memory performances into the application of three-dimensional thermal management. Both the two performances root in the temperature-triggered crystallization characteristic of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). The dynamic interfacial bonding helps to reduce the thermal contact resistance of polymer-based composites to 0.085 K·cm 2 ·W −1 , and the shape memory ability can be adapted to various heat sources with complex structures. The cooperation of adhesion and shape memory properties endows the PCL-based composites with more advantages than the traditional matrixes in a wide range of applications including thermal management, flexible electronics, and wearable devices .