Phys.org April 4, 2023
Materials with an extremely low thermal and high electrical conductivity that are easy to process, foldable, and nonflammable are required for sustainable applications, notably in energy converters, miniaturized electronics, and high-temperature fuel cells. Given the inherent correlation between high thermal and high electrical conductivity, innovative design concepts that decouple phonon and electron transport are necessary. Researchers in Germany achieved a unique combination of thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity in electrospun nonwovens comprising carbon as the matrix and silicon-based ceramics as nano-sized inclusions with a sea-island nanostructure. The carbon phase modulates electronic transport for high electrical conductivity, and the ceramic phase induced phonon scattering for low thermal conductivity by excessive boundary scattering. According to the researchers their strategy could be used to fabricate the unique nonwoven materials for real-world applications and would inspire the design of materials made from carbon and ceramic… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
A schematic of the geometry of flexible carbon-ceramic composite fibrous nonwoven with the sea-island–type structure. Credit: SCIENCE ADVANCES, 31 Mar 2023, Vol 9, Issue 13