Sunshine foaming of compact Ti3C2Tx MXene film for highly efficient electromagnetic interference shielding and energy storage

The controllable construction of lightweight, highly conductive, porous and flexible Ti3C2Tx MXene film is crucial in achieving high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and the next generation of high-rate energy storage materials, but it is difficult to produce. Herein, the focused sunlight was used to stimulate the photothermal effect of MXene, which makes the free water between the layers of the conventional compact MXene film vaporized instantaneously, and then a macroporous MXene film with 3D architectures was obtained in just a few seconds. Such macroporous MXene film is lightweight and flexible, with high conductivity (approximate to 1000 S cm(-1)), good hydrophobicity and environmental stability. Therefore, the absolute shielding effectiveness of the macroporous MXene film can be as high as 88333 dB cm(2) g(-1), indicating its potential applications in EMI shielding materials for aerospace. Furthermore, based on the highly open pore structure and more exposed surface area, this MXene film possesses a higher capacitance (380 F g(-1)) and good rate capability, enabling it to demonstrate attractive prospects in high-rate energy storage. This work provides an ingenious way to create macroporous MXene film and can guide future work on exploring the wider use of MXene-based materials. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates a novel method to produce lightweight and highly conductive macroporous MXene film with 3D architectures using focused sunlight. The resulting MXene film shows high shielding effectiveness and energy storage capabilities due to its unique structure and properties. These findings suggest potential applications in aerospace and high-rate energy storage materials.