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Peer-reviewedCC BYCell Reports Physical Science

Enhanced microfluidic heat sinks with a bio-inspired metal skeleton toward thermal management of flexible electronics

  • Bo Liu1
  • Encong Hu2
  • Minyi Wang3
  • Jiaqian Li3
  • Ziman Wang2
  • Gongming Xin3
  • Xinyu Wang4
4 affiliations
  1. 1School of Nuclear Science, Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China; Corresponding author
  2. 2Institute of Thermal Science and Technology, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
  3. 3School of Nuclear Science, Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
  4. 4Institute of Thermal Science and Technology, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China; Corresponding author
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Abstract

Flexible electronics require thermal-management materials that combine heat dissipation with mechanical compliance, yet flexible polymers are limited by low thermal conductivity. Here, we report a sponge-inspired composite of copper foam (CF), cubic boron nitride (c-BN), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), in which the interconnected CF skeleton and dispersed c-BN fillers create continuous multiscale heat-conduction pathways. This architecture raises in-plane and through-plane thermal conductivities to 21.47 and 3.45 W·m −1 ·K −1 , 141- and 22-fold higher than pure PDMS, respectively. The composite remains flexible, shows a 2569.8% increase in elastic modulus, retains thermal conductivity after 10 6 bending cycles, and provides 25.25 dB EMI shielding and UL-94 V-0 flame retardancy. Integrated into flexible microfluidic heat sinks, it enables stable cooling from 0° to 120° bending, with temperature variations below 4.2% under static bending and 3% during dynamic bending. These results provide a multifunctional thermal-management platform for next-generation flexible electronics.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{liu2026enhanced,
  title = {{Enhanced microfluidic heat sinks with a bio-inspired metal skeleton toward thermal management of flexible electronics}},
  author = {Bo Liu and Encong Hu and Minyi Wang and Jiaqian Li and Ziman Wang and Gongming Xin and Xinyu Wang},
  journal = {Cell Reports Physical Science},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103553},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103553},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Enhanced microfluidic heat sinks with a bio-inspired metal skeleton toward thermal management of flexible electronics
AU  - Bo Liu
AU  - Encong Hu
AU  - Minyi Wang
AU  - Jiaqian Li
AU  - Ziman Wang
AU  - Gongming Xin
AU  - Xinyu Wang
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/23
JO  - Cell Reports Physical Science
DO  - 10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103553
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103553
AB  - Flexible electronics require thermal-management materials that combine heat dissipation with mechanical compliance, yet flexible polymers are limited by low thermal conductivity. Here, we report a sponge-inspired composite of copper foam (CF), cubic boron nitride (c-BN), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), in which the interconnected CF skeleton and dispersed c-BN fillers create continuous multiscale heat-conduction pathways. This architecture raises in-plane and through-plane thermal conductivities to 21.47 and 3.45 W·m −1 ·K −1 , 141- and 22-fold higher than pure PDMS, respectively. The composite remains flexible, shows a 2569.8% increase in elastic modulus, retains thermal conductivity after 10 6 bending cycles, and provides 25.25 dB EMI shielding and UL-94 V-0 flame retardancy. Integrated into flexible microfluidic heat sinks, it enables stable cooling from 0° to 120° bending, with temperature variations below 4.2% under static bending and 3% during dynamic bending. These results provide a multifunctional thermal-management platform for next-generation flexible electronics.
SN  - 2666-3864
ER  -