Next-generation electronic devices like newer computers and other high-power devices require more energy to run. When they are working hard, the intense heat they generate can limit their performance and reliability. That’s why scientists are trying to find better and more sustainable materials to help cool devices down.
Weinan Xu, an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has developed a novel concept for the fabrication and processing of thermal interface materials based on synergistic microbial biosynthesis, which is a way of making useful materials with the help of microbes like bacteria.
Thermal interface materials are specialized substances inserted between the electronic and cooling devices to eliminate tiny air pockets so heat can move out of the device faster. By changing how the bacteria are grown and how the material is processed, the material’s ability to move heat, known as thermal conductivity, can be adjusted.
Xu’s new approach displayed thermal conductivity that is five to 10 times better than conventional thermal interface materials and the process is more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Xu’s research was published in the May 2026 edition of the journal Matter.
“Our biocomposite materials can be made very uniquely by bacteria. If you give certain types of bacteria sugars as a carbon source and metal ions as a metal precursor, they can make inorganic and organic materials for you,” Xu said. “That’s one major advantage of our material. It can be created by bacteria at room temperature in an aqueous solution, which is in dramatic contrast with conventional chemical methods of material processing, where you need harsh chemicals and high temperature.”
Xu’s nearly three-year project was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a research and development agency of the US Department of Defense, through a Young Faculty Award.
“DARPA is very interested in creating or developing a next generation of thermal interface materials, because they are so critical for electronics and energy storage devices for military equipment,” Xu said. “They want to develop a very high-performance interface material, and they want this material to be made in an environmental-friendly way. That’s basically what we’ve achieved through this research.”
Widespread application
Conventional thermal interface materials are mostly made with artificially-created mixtures and have limitations in their physical properties and sustainability.
Xu’s research integrating microbial biosynthesis and advanced manufacturing provides a new approach to sustainable and intelligent manufacturing, resulting in better performance, reliability, and longevity.
The impact of Xu’s research has the potential to spread beyond making materials for thermal management.
“We are actually working on using a related concept for rare earth element recovery, which is an important topic right now,” Xu said. “For biomedical applications, many of the structures you generate can be biocompatible for tissue engineering application as well.”
The next step for Xu and his group is to reduce the cost and increase the production rate of the novel bacterial-based development process to make it more readily available.
“The method we are using right now typically takes a few days or few weeks to generate the final material,” Xu said. “We are in conversations with industry partners to explore the commercialization of such material for thermal management, electronics, and batteries, such as in EVs, in drones, etc. There is a lot of potential to scale this up.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey ([email protected])