Thermal Transport in Conductive Polymer-Based Materials

The demand for flexible conductive materials has motivated many recent studies on conductive polymer-based materials. However, the thermal conductivity of conductive polymers is relatively low, which may lead to serious heat dissipation problems for device applications. This review provides a summary of the fundamental principles for thermal transport in conductive polymers and their composites, and recent advancements in regulating their thermal conductivity. The thermal transport mechanisms in conductive polymer-based materials and up-to-date experimental approaches for measuring thermal conductivity are first summarized. Effective approaches for the regulation of thermal conductivity are then discussed. Finally, thermal-related applications and future perspectives are given for conductive polymers and their composites.