Improve the Thermal Conductivity, Insulation Performance and Mechanical Properties of Silicone Rubber by Constructing EG-PDA-Cu Hybrid Nanoparticles

In this study, a simple and environmentally benign method was developed to synthesize expanded graphite-polydopamine-copper (EG-PDA-Cu) hybrid nanoparticles. The procedure involved first modifying EG via a mussel-inspired technique to deposit a polydopamine coating, after which Cu 2+ ions were reduced to immobilize copper nanoparticles onto the EG-PDA substrate. The as-synthesized EG-PDA-Cu nanoparticles were subsequently blended into a silicone rubber matrix (VMQ) to form elastomeric composites. Owing to the synergistic contribution of Cu and EG, the 10 wt% EG-PDA-Cu/VMQ composite achieved a thermal conductivity of 1.375 W m −1 K −1 , representing a 7.63-fold enhancement over pristine VMQ (0.18 W m −1 K −1 ). Furthermore, the composites exhibited outstanding electromechanical and mechanical performance. This approach holds significant potential for fabricating high-thermal-conductivity dielectric materials suitable for thermal management in electronic packaging. Graphical In this work, a novel expanded graphite-supported nano-copper polydopamine composite was designed and synthesized. The procedure involved first modifying EG via a mussel-inspired technique to deposit a polydopamine coating, after which Cu 2+ ions were reduced to immobilize copper nanoparticles onto the EG-PDA substrate. This approach holds significant potential for fabricating high-thermal-conductivity dielectric materials suitable for thermal management in electronic packaging.