Tuning microscopic interactions in dry (co-)polymer systems for improved thermal conductivity

Polymers are an important class of soft matter whose properties are dictated by large fluctuations.
Because of this reason commodity polymers are perfect candidates for the fully flexible design of advanced functional materials. However, while polymers are highly useful in a wide range of everyday materials, one of the greatest drawback of polymeric materials is their poor thermal conductivity in an amorphous state (i.e., between 0.1 - 0.5 W/m/K). Using molecular dynamics
simulations of an all atom model, we propose new (co-)polymer systems in their dry state that are otherwise water soluble in dilute solutions and thus dictated by strong hydrogen bonding. These results may serve as a design principle for the dry polymer systems with improved thermal properties.