Intrinsic Thermal Conductivity of Molecular Engineered Polymer

Abstract Rapid advancements in electronics has raised higher requirements for the thermal conductivity of polymers and their composites due to the demand of thermal management inside electronic devices. However, the intrinsic thermal conductivity of the isotropic polymer is often ≈0.2 W (m K) ⁻¹ , which is too low for their ability as thermal management materials. This review mainly focuses on the experimental research on the intrinsic thermal conductivity of polymers. By engineering polymer structure at molecular level, increasing supramolecular interaction between polymer chains and the formation of crystalline or liquid crystalline structure are major strategies to enhance the intrinsic thermal conductivity of linear polymers and polymer networks. The relationship between the thermal conductivity and other properties of polymers is discussed. Finally, challenges and opportunities for the highly thermal conductive polymers from fundamental study to industrial application are prospected.