Enhanced thermal conductivity of reduced graphene oxide reinforced polymer films through a novel GO reduction mechanism

Graphene's remarkable thermal conductance characteristics makes it a very promising thermal interface material for polymeric composites. In this study, we propose an innovative approach aimed at augmenting the thermal conductivity of flexible composite films, employing reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the constituent materials. The fabrication process involves the utilization of solution casting coupled with a low-temperature chemical reduction method for graphene oxide (GO). Given that the high thermal conductivity of polymer nanocomposites typically correlates with increased crystallinity and reduced defects, our primary objective is to investigate the impact of reduction of GO in order to associate enhance crystallinity within the graphene oxide-polymer system, with the overall increased thermal conductivity of the resulting GO/PVA films. The diethylene glycol-GO/PVA films thus, generated through this methodology exhibit an exceptional thermal conductivity of approximately 5.1 W/mK, achieved with a mere 10 wt.% filler loading. This surpasses the thermal conductivity observed in films comprised solely of GO/PVA. The notable enhancement in thermal conductivity can be attributed to several factors, including improved crystallinity and reduced defects of GO with effective polymeric bridging facilitated by the rGO with PVA. Collectively, these advancements contribute to the overall thermal performance of the material, presenting a promising methodology for future developments in the field of thermal conductivity materials.

Highlights

• Reduction of GO through a streamlined and facile methodology.
• Orchestrated a controlled reduction process at lower temperatures and simultaneously enhancing the crystallinity and decreasing the defects of GO.
• Fabricated reduced GO/PVA polymer films exhibited an exceptional thermal conductivity of approximately 5.1 W/mK with just a 10 wt.% filler loading.