POS4-0917

Polydopamine-Functionalized Boron Nitride Embedded in Freeze-Dried 3D Agarose Networks for Thermally Conductive and Electrically Insulating PDMS Composites

Topic

S4. Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials

When and Where

Oct 1, 2026 08:30 - 09:30

Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)

Session Chairs

Jinkee HONG

Ki Su KIM

Presenter(s)

KYUNG HANBIT (Seoul National University of Science and Technology)

Co-Author(s)

JOEUN MYEONG (Seoul National University of Science and Technology), YUNHAN KIM (Seoul National University of Science and Technology), YANGWOO LEE (Seoul National University of Science and Technology), HYUNGJUN KOO (Seoul National University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

The rapid miniaturization and high integration of semiconductor devices have intensified heat dissipation challenges, increasing the demand for thermal interface materials (TIMs) with high thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, and mechanical compliance. Boron nitride (BN) is a promising electrically insulating ceramic filler for polymer-based TIMs; however, randomly dispersed BN particles often show limited thermal transport due to discontinuous filler networks and high interfacial thermal resistance.

In this study, polydopamine-functionalized boron nitride (PDA-BN) was incorporated into a freeze-dried agarose scaffold to construct a three-dimensional thermally conductive network in a PDMS matrix. PDA functionalization was introduced to modify the BN surface and enhance interfacial interactions with the agarose scaffold and PDMS. PDA-BN particles were dispersed in an aqueous agarose solution, followed by gelation and freeze-drying to form a porous 3D scaffold. The scaffold was then infiltrated with PDMS under vacuum to obtain a flexible, electrically insulating composite. The effects of BN particle size and PDA coating content on morphology and thermal transport were investigated.

The PDA-BN/agarose/PDMS composites showed improved thermal conductivity compared with randomly dispersed BN or PDA-BN composites, indicating that the agarose scaffold promoted interconnected filler pathways. The PDA coating also played a key role in modulating filler–matrix interfaces; however, excessive PDA may introduce thermally resistive organic layers, highlighting the need to optimize the coating level. These results suggest that PDA-based interfacial modification combined with freeze-drying-induced 3D structural control is an effective strategy for flexible, electrically insulating polymer TIMs.

Keywords: polydopamine, boron nitride, agarose scaffold, thermal interface material, freeze-drying, PDMS composite

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