Thermal conductivity of a ZnO nanowire/silica aerogel nanocomposite

摘要

The thermal conductivity of 100?nm zinc oxide nanowires embedded in silica aerogel was measured using the 3ω method over a temperature range of 150?K to 300?K. Compared to 100?nm ZnO nanowires alone, the thermal conductivity of the nanocomposite was reduced by over an order of magnitude throughout this temperature range. We attribute this reduction to the scattering of ballistic phonons at the nanowire surface and the subsequent emission of and transport of energy by the scattered phonon into the silica aerogel, as predicted by the diffuse mismatch model.