Recent Progress in Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Performance of Porous Polymer Nanocomposites-A Review

The urge to develop high-speed data transfer technologies for futuristic electronic and communication devices has led to more incidents of serious electromagnetic interference and pollution. Over the past decade, there has been burgeoning research interests to design and fabricate high-performance porous EM shields to tackle this undesired phenomenon. Polymer nanocomposite foams and aerogels offer robust, flexible and lightweight architectures with tunable microwave absorption properties and are foreseen as potential candidates to mitigate electromagnetic pollution. This review covers various strategies adopted to fabricate 3D porous nanocomposites using conductive nanoinclusions with suitable polymer matrices, such as elastomers, thermoplastics, bioplastics, conducting polymers, polyurethanes, polyimides and nanocellulose. Special emphasis has been placed on novel 2D materials such as MXenes, that are envisaged to be the future of microwave-absorbing materials for next-generation electronic devices. Strategies to achieve an ultra-low percolation threshold using environmentally benign and facile processing techniques have been discussed in detail.

Automated summary

The increasing demand for high-speed data transfer technologies has led to more electromagnetic interference and pollution. Polymer nanocomposite materials with tunable microwave absorption properties and flexible structures have been proposed as potential solutions. This review summarizes the various strategies for fabricating 3D porous nanocomposites using conductive nanoinclusions with suitable polymer matrices, and highlights the use of novel 2D materials such as MXenes. Strategies for achieving ultra-low percolation threshold using environmentally friendly and facile processing techniques are also discussed.