Structurally ordered glucose-derived carbon coatings enabling enhanced Cu–C interfacial thermal transport in 3D copper foams

As modern electronic systems advance toward compact architectures and intensified power densities, managing heat generation and dissipation has become a central challenge affecting both device stability and functional reliability. In this study, a carbon-coated three-dimensional (3D) porous copper foam composite (CFCC) was synthesized using a combined hydrothermal and annealing process to enhance heat dissipation. Optimization studies revealed that the combination of 6 g glucose with a 600 °C annealing treatment produced the most favorable coating quality. Consequently, the CFCC exhibited an in-plane thermal conductivity of 16.3 W m −1  K −1 and a thermal diffusivity of 28.5 mm 2  s −1 , representing 39.3% and 122.7% increases over pristine copper foam, respectively. Infrared thermography confirmed significantly improved heat spreading, with the optimized composite maintaining the lowest steady-state temperature (145.8 °C) under a constant 160 °C heat load. Microstructural and mechanistic investigations indicate that the improved heat-transfer capability originates from the higher ordering of the carbon domains, the decrease in structural defects, and the strengthened Cu–C interfacial interactions. These factors collectively reduce phonon scattering, extend the phonon mean free path, and minimize interfacial thermal resistance, enabling effective three-dimensional heat conduction. Overall, the integrated hydrothermal–annealing strategy presents a controllable, scalable, and cost-effective approach for producing high-quality carbon coatings on porous metal substrates, offering substantial promise for advanced thermal management in next-generation high-power electronic systems.