Interface‐Engineered BN/MXene Composites for Anisotropic Thermal Conduction and Solid‐Solid PCM Buffering

ABSTRACT The rational design of phase‐change composites that simultaneously deliver high thermal conductivity, intrinsic electrical insulation, and structural integrity is crucial for advanced thermal management and energy‐regulation technologies. Herein, we report an interface‐engineered anisotropic hybrid aerogel composed of amine‐functionalized boron nitride ( f ‐BN) and Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene, fabricated via a dual‐polymer‐assisted gelation strategy combined with directional freeze‐casting. By engineering chemically bonded yet electrically insulating interfaces through B‐N‐NH 2 bridges, Ti‐O‐C/N linkages, and π – π interactions, the system establishes a phonon‐dominated transport network that overcomes the intrinsic trade‐off between thermal conduction and electrical insulation. The aligned lamellar architecture further promotes efficient through‐plane heat transport. Upon incorporation into a polyurethane‐based solid‐solid phase‐change matrix, the composite achieves a high thermal conductivity of 3.376 W m −1 K −1 at a low filler loading of 14 wt.%, while retaining a substantial latent heat of 108 J g −1 and high electrical resistivity (1.68 × 10 12 Ω·cm). The composite exhibits excellent cycling stability (>96% retention after 100 thermal cycles) and delivers significant temperature reductions in CPUs (10.0°C) and Li‐ion battery modules (≈7.6°C). This work establishes a design paradigm for electrically insulating, high‐performance phase‐change composites with synergistic heat transport and energy buffering.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2026-05-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.75807
Primary Topic
Phase Change Materials Research
Type
article
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article

Interface‐Engineered BN/MXene Composites for Anisotropic Thermal Conduction and Solid‐Solid PCM Buffering

Shu‐Lin Bai, Akbar Bashir, Z Y Li, Yuehua Chen et al.
Advanced Functional Materials
Phase Change Materials Research
article

Interface‐Engineered BN/MXene Composites for Anisotropic Thermal Conduction and Solid‐Solid PCM Buffering

Shu‐Lin Bai, Akbar Bashir, Z Y Li, Yuehua Chen, Da-Zhu Chen, Chak‐Yin Tang, Chen Liu, Junpeng Qiao, Cheng‐Te Lin, Gary Chi‐Pong Tsui, Ali Usman
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT The rational design of phase‐change composites that simultaneously deliver high thermal conductivity, intrinsic electrical insulation, and structural integrity is crucial for advanced thermal management and energy‐regulation technologies. Herein, we report an interface‐engineered anisotropic hybrid aerogel composed of amine‐functionalized boron nitride ( f ‐BN) and Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene, fabricated via a dual‐polymer‐assisted gelation strategy combined with directional freeze‐casting. By engineering chemically bonded yet electrically insulating interfaces through B‐N‐NH 2 bridges, Ti‐O‐C/N linkages, and π – π interactions, the system establishes a phonon‐dominated transport network that overcomes the intrinsic trade‐off between thermal conduction and electrical insulation. The aligned lamellar architecture further promotes efficient through‐plane heat transport. Upon incorporation into a polyurethane‐based solid‐solid phase‐change matrix, the composite achieves a high thermal conductivity of 3.376 W m −1 K −1 at a low filler loading of 14 wt.%, while retaining a substantial latent heat of 108 J g −1 and high electrical resistivity (1.68 × 10 12 Ω·cm). The composite exhibits excellent cycling stability (>96% retention after 100 thermal cycles) and delivers significant temperature reductions in CPUs (10.0°C) and Li‐ion battery modules (≈7.6°C). This work establishes a design paradigm for electrically insulating, high‐performance phase‐change composites with synergistic heat transport and energy buffering.

Advanced Functional Materials
Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK), Shenzhen University (CN), Peking University (CN), Shenzhen Technology University (CN), Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology (CN)
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Phase Change Materials Research
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