In an embodiment, a printed circuit board substrate (12) comprises a polymer matrix; a reinforcing layer (42); and a plurality of coated boron nitride particles (44); wherein the plurality of coated boron nitride particles comprise a coating having an average coating thickness of 1 to 100 nanometers. The polymer matrix can comprise at least one of an epoxy, a polyphenylene ether, polystyrene, an ethylene-propylene dicyclopentadiene copolymer, a polybutadiene, a polyisoprene, a fluoropolymer, or a crosslinked matrix comprising at least one of triallyl cyanurate, triallyl isocyanurate, 1,2,4-trivinyl cyclohexane, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, or trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate.