The low thermal conductivity coefficient
(λ) of polyimide
(PI) films are limiting their application in high-power electronic
equipment, and the disordered alignment of fillers discourage efficient
improvement of λ for PI-based composite films. Herein, polyethylene
glycol trimethylnonyl ether is used to perform liquid crystalline
modification on graphene fluoride (LC-GeF) to achieve ordered alignment.
Intrinsically thermally conductive liquid crystalline PI (LC-PI) matrix
is utilized to fabricate thermally conductive LC-GeF/LC-PI composite
films. In-plane λ (λ∥) and through-plane
λ (λ⊥) of 15 wt % LC-GeF/LC-PI composite
films reach 4.21 and 0.63 W/(m·K), 446.8% and 320.0% higher than
λ∥ (0.77 W/(m·K)) and λ⊥ (0.15 W/(m·K)) of normal PI films, 99.5% and 96.9% higher than
λ∥ (2.11 W/(m·K)) and λ⊥ (0.32 W/(m·K)) of LC-PI films, also higher than 15 wt % GeF/LC-PI
composite films. Additionally, LC-GeF/LC-PI composite films possess
more excellent insulating, mechanical, and thermal properties than
GeF/LC-PI composite films.