Aligned Graphene Oxide Nanofillers: An Approach to Prepare Highly Thermally Conductive and Electrically Insulative Transparent Polymer Composites

Graphene oxide (GO)/polyvinyl alcohol composites with extremely high in-plane thermal conductivities are prepared by a simple tape casting process using water as process solvent. The in-plane thermal conductivity of the composite can reach 17.61 W/mK at only 0.1 wt% GO loading, which is close to that of fully dense alumina. The excellent thermal conducting ability, the unique two-dimensional morphology, and the all-wet handling of the GO fillers as well as the high orientation of the fillers in the polymer matrix all contribute to the high thermal conductivities achieved. Meanwhile, the composites show good electrical insulation property and decent transparency.