A breathable and flexible fiber cloth based on cellulose/polyaniline cellular membrane for microwave shielding and absorbing applications

High-performance electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption and shielding materials integrating with flexibility, air permeability, and anti-fatigue characteristics are of great potential in portable and wearable electronics. These materials usually prepared by depositing metal or alloy coatings on fabrics. However, the shortcomings of heavy weight and easy corrosion hamper its application. In this work, the cellulose nanofiber (CF) fabric was prepared by electrospinning technology. Then, conductive polyaniline (PANI) was deposited on the CF surface via a facile in-situ polymerization process. The interweaving cellulose/polyaniline nanofiber (CPF) composite constructs a conductive network, and the electrical conductivity can be adjusted by polymerization time. Benefiting from optimal impedance matching, strong conductive loss, as well as interfacial polarization, the CPF possesses excellent EM absorption performance. The minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value is -49.24 dB, and the effective absorption bandwidth (RL < -10 dB, fe) reaches 6.90 GHz. Furthermore, the CPF also exhibits outstanding electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capability with shielding efficiency (SE) of 34.93 dB in the whole X band. Most importantly, the lightweight CPF fabrics have the merits of mechanical flexibility, breathability and wash resistance, which is highly applicable for wearable devices. (c) 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Automated summary

In this study, high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption and shielding materials were developed by preparing interweaving cellulose/polyaniline nanofiber (CPF) composite through electrospinning technology and in-situ polymerization process. The CPF exhibited excellent EM absorption performance and EMI shielding capability, with adjustable electrical conductivity and lightweight fabric characteristics such as mechanical flexibility, breathability, and wash resistance, making it highly suitable for wearable devices.