Nano copper-modified GO and CNTs for enhanced the epoxy resin composite thermal properties

Abstract

Efficient heat dissipation and reduced interface thermal resistance have become an important factor in the advancement of modern electronics. Herein, high aspect ratio Cu nanowires (Cu NWs) and uniform dispersed copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) were in-situ grown on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using an one-pot hydrothermal method to obtain a Cu-rGO-CNTs hybrid (CuGNT). The CNTs were carboxylated through acid treatment, which enhanced their hydrophilicity. The creation of the well-dispersed Cu NPs and the high aspect ratio Cu NWs was aided by rGO that was transformed from GO throughout the synthesis. The CuGNT hybrid was used as fillers uniformly dispersed in an epoxy resin (EP) matrix, forming an epoxy composite (CuGNT-EP). The filler formed a 3D-interconnected network, which significantly enhanced the thermal conductivity (the thermal conductivity enhancement factor 87.37 %) of the pure epoxy resin even at low filler levels (relative to 2 wt% of EP content) and maintain high tensile strength (33.76 Mpa). Moreover, the filler has excellent thermal stability and oxidation resistance and the filler does not form a complete conductive path, thereby meeting the requirements for antistatic functionality (> 10⁹ Ω·m). Therefore, the CuGNT-EP composite shows great potential for semiconductors, IC packaging, and aerospace applications.