PEG/GO phase-change composite aerogel microspheres with highly ordered center-diverging microchannels for the efficient thermal management of electronic devices

Abstract

The stability and reliability of electronic devices correlated to when they experience a temperature increase originating from heat release during operation are a vital issue which might severely influence the effectiveness of the devices or cause combustion. The ideal solution for this problem is anticipated to be the combination of phase change materials (PCMs) with heat storage capabilities and graphene oxide (GO) with high thermal conductivity to give a composite structure with a specific morphology for the function of temperature regulation. In this study, electrostatic spraying technology was effectively employed to fabricate GO/polyethylene glycol (PEG) phase-change aerogel microspheres (GPAMs), using GO as the supporting material and PEG as the PCM. Subsequent freeze-drying processes induced ordered pore structures through an ice templating mechanism. The mild and straightforward method enabled the effective integration of GO aerogels with PEG. The obtained GPAMs had an intact spherical shape with dimensions ranging from 100 to 200 μm. The load rate of the GPAMs reached 95% with a ΔH_m of 151.9 J g⁻¹, which ensured the fantastic heat storage capacity performance, and the center-diverging conical pores guaranteed high stability during the phase change process. The fabrication technology provided a novel approach to developing composite aerogel microspheres. The GPAMs with controllable micron-sized and ordered heat conduction pathways can overcome the limitations of traditional bulk GO aerogels to meet the requirements of various electronic devices and have bright prospects in thermal management, especially for micro-devices.