Conductive Strong and Thermally Stable Silver Nanowire/Montmorillonite/Polydimethylsiloxane Nanocomposite as a Thermal Interface Material

High-performance thermal interface materials (TIMs) exhibiting excellent thermal conductivity and thermal stability are essential for ensuring the performance and longevity of electronic devices. Incorporating conductive fillers into polymer-based packaging materials is an effective method to enhance the performance of TIMs. This study involved the hybrid construction of silver nanowire-montmorillonite (AgNWs-MMT) heterostructures and the formation of a three-dimensional (3D) interconnection network structure in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The synergistic effect of the geometric confinement of sheet-like MMT and the 3D AgNWs-MMT network structure significantly improved the thermal conductivity and thermal stability of PDMS-based composites. When the loading amount of AgNWs-MMT was 6 wt %, the thermal conductivity of PDMS-based composites was 1.99 times higher than that of pure PDMS. The residual carbon content of all PDMS-based composites at 700 °C was higher than that of pure PDMS. When the addition amount of AgNWs-MMT was 4 wt %, the tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and elongation at break of PDMS-based composites increased by 239.8%, 200.0%, and 120.9%, respectively, implying the enhanced mechanical properties. This study provides a strategy for designing high-performance TIMs.