Molecular engineering of a porphyrin-based hierarchical superstructure: planarity control of a discotic metallomesogen for high thermal conductivity

With the significance of heat management, recently, high thermal conducting polymers have attracted attention as promising polymeric matrix materials in miniaturized and flexible devices. Porphyrin-based reactive metallomesogens (PorV-x; x = -2H, -Ni, -Cu, and -Zn) were newly designed and synthesized for the fabrication of thermal conducting polymers. Self-assembled and subsequently polymerized PorV-x films exhibited excellent mechanical, chemical, and thermal stability. The thermal conducting properties of PorV-x films can be adjusted as desired by controlling the molecular planarity through metal core substitution. From the results of systematic experiments, it was realized that a deep understanding of the correlation between the supramolecular packing structure and thermal properties is essential for the precise control of the heat dissipating performance in advanced heat managing materials. The thermal conductivity of a porphyrin-based discotic reactive metallomesogen can be precisely controlled by adjusting its molecular planarity and hierarchical superstructure.