Origins of ultralow thermal conductivity in bulk [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)

Abstract

Bulk PCBM has exceptionally low thermal conductivity, 0.07 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at room temperature. We show that its ultralow thermal conductivity is an intrinsic property. Based on results for thermal conductivity and heat capacity measurements down to <2 K, along with Raman spectroscopy and dilatometry, a new model for minimum thermal conductivity was developed. In the model the thermal energy is transferred between entities of phonons oscillating in a range of frequencies, and limited by the atomic density and the phonon mean speed. The model accurately represents the low thermal conductivity for both PCBM and C₆₀/C₇₀.