Fuente: Journal of applied polymer Lugar: RESEARCH ARTICLE A dual PDA/KH550 modification of h-BN is developed to enhance dispersion and interfacial coupling in PDMS. The resulting composite reaches 1.48 W m−1 K−1 at 40 wt% loading, enabling high-performance TIMs for advanced electronic packaging.

ABSTRACT
The efficient heat dissipation in modern electronics creates an urgent need for high-thermal-conductivity polymer-based thermal interface materials. A key challenge in developing such materials lies in the incorporation of functional fillers. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a promising thermally conductive filler for enhancing the thermal conductivity of the polymer matrix; however, its dispersion and interfacial compatibility with polymers are hindered by strong agglomeration and chemical inertness. Herein, we develop a dual-modification strategy for h-BN using polydopamine (PDA) and the silane coupling agent KH550. A PDA layer is first coated onto h-BN via self-polymerization, followed by KH550 grafting, yielding the functionalized filler (KBN). This approach significantly improves the dispersion of h-BN in a polydimethylsiloxane matrix and enhances the filler-matrix interfacial interaction. The resulting composite with 40 wt% KBN loading achieves a high thermal conductivity of 1.48 W m−1 K−1, much higher than that of pure polydimethylsiloxane. This work provides an effective route for developing high-performance TIMs for advanced electronic packaging applications.