Roll-to-roll processable MXene-rGO-PVA composite films with enhanced mechanical properties and environmental stability for electromagnetic interference shielding

MXene films promise potential electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials, but poor scalable processability, environmental instability, and weak mechanical properties severely restrict their applications. Herein, we engineer the large-area, high-performance, and compact nacre-like MXene-based composite films through cooperative co-assembly of Ti3C2TX MXene and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in the presence of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The resulting MXene-rGO-PVA composite films benefit from enhanced bonding strength and extra chain bridging effect of linear PVA molecules enriched with hydroxyl groups. Therefore, the composite film achieves high tensile strength (similar to 238 MPa) and toughness (similar to 1.72 MJ m(-3)) while having high conductivity of similar to 32 S cm(-1). A significant EMI shielding effectiveness (41.35 dB) is also demonstrated, with an excellent absolute shielding effectiveness of similar to 20,200 dB cm(2) g(-1) at only 12-mu m thickness. Moreover, due to the synergistic effect of multiple components, the composite films maintain a stable EMI shielding performance in harsh environments (sonication, hot/cold annealing, and acid solution) with mechanical properties that fluctuate only within 10% compared to the original film. More importantly, commercial polyethylene terephthalate release liner can be applied for the film coating, facilitating continuous roll-to-roll production of large-area films and future applications.

Automated summary

Large-area, high-performance, and compact nacre-like MXene-based composite films have been engineered through cooperative co-assembly of Ti3C2TX MXene, reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). These composite films exhibit high strength, toughness, conductivity, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness, while maintaining stable performance in harsh environments.