Electromagnetic Shielding of Monolayer MXene Assemblies

Miniaturization of electronics demands electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding of nanoscale dimension. The authors report a systematic exploration of EMI shielding behavior of 2D Ti3C2Tx MXene assembled films over a broad range of film thicknesses, monolayer by monolayer. Theoretical models are used to explain the shielding mechanism below skin depth, where multiple reflection becomes significant, along with the surface reflection and bulk absorption of electromagnetic radiation. While a monolayer assembled film offers approximate to 20% shielding of electromagnetic waves, a 24-layer film of approximate to 55 nm thickness demonstrates 99% shielding (20 dB), revealing an extraordinarily large absolute shielding effectiveness (3.89 x 10(6) dB cm(2) g(-1)). This remarkable performance of nanometer-thin solution processable MXene proposes a paradigm shift in shielding of lightweight, portable, and compact next-generation electronic devices.