As
the features of electronics are miniaturized, the need for interfacial
thermal coupling layers to enhance their thermal transfer efficiency
and improve device performance becomes critical. Organic conjugated
small molecules possess a unique combination of periodic crystal structures
and conjugated units with π electrons, resulting in notable
thermal conductivities and molecular structure orientation that facilitates
directed heat transfer. Nevertheless, there is a noticeable gap in
literatures regarding the thermal properties of organic conjugated
small molecules and their potential applications in nanoscale thermal
management. Herein, we report the fabrication of high-quality thin
films of organic conjugated small molecules. The result reveals that
the 2D organic conjugated small molecule thin films exhibit a high
cross-plane thermal conductivity of 3.2 W/m K. The increased thermal
conductivity is attributed to the well-organized lattice structure
and existence of π-electrons induced by conjugated systems.
The studied conjugated small molecules engage in π–π
stacking interactions with carbon materials and efficiently exchange
energy with electrons in metals, promoting rapid interfacial heat
transfer. These molecules act as coupling layers, significantly enhancing
thermal transfer efficiency between graphite-based thermal pads and
copper heat sinks. This pioneering research represents the inaugural
investigation of the thermal performance of conjugated organic small
molecules. These findings highlight the potential of conjugated small
molecules as thermal coupling layers, offering tunable combinations
of desirable properties.