TY  - JOUR
AU  - Zhao, Lei
AU  - Ma, Yinuo
AU  - Wei, Zhilei
AU  - Tan, Luyun
AU  - Li, Zhitong
AU  - Yuan, Zhenxia
AU  - Shi, Zhongqi
PY  - 2026
TI  - Self-generated reactor strategy enabling combustion synthesis of ultra-long AlN whiskers for superior thermal management
JO  - Journal of Materiomics
SN  - 2352-8478
VL  - 12
IS  - 4
AB  - Conventional aluminum nitride (AlN) whisker synthesis faces inherent limitations, including high reaction temperature, prolonged processing time, high cost and restricted whisker length. Herein, we proposed a novel self-generated reactor strategy that enables the efficient combustion synthesis of ultra-long AlN whiskers. This strategy was realized in the Al/NH4Cl/PTFE system, where an eggshell-like reactor formed in-situ, establishing a thermodynamically stable and confined environment. This unique architecture was crucial for the controlled growth of uniform and high-aspect-ratio whiskers. Under optimized conditions (7% (in mass) NH4Cl and PTFE/Al molar ratio of 0.015), AlN whiskers with an average diameter of 0.52 μm and a length exceeding 1 mm (aspect ratio >1900) were successfully obtained. Based on thermal reactivity and thermo-kinetic analyses, a possible mechanism for the formation of the self-generated reactor and the subsequent growth of ultra-long AlN whiskers within it was proposed. Furthermore, the synthesized whiskers were incorporated into nanofibrillated cellulose to fabricate composite films, which demonstrated a high in-plane thermal conductivity of 13.16 W·m−1·K−1. This work not only provides a novel and efficient pathway for AlN whiskers synthesis but also highlights their potential for practical thermal management applications.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmat.2026.101227
DO  - 10.1016/j.jmat.2026.101227