Multifunctional graphene/carbon fiber aerogels toward compatible electromagnetic wave absorption and shielding in gigahertz and terahertz bands with optimized radar cross section

Lightweight absorption-dominated electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials with multifunctional integration of multiband absorption, mechanical durability and thermal insulation are urgently required in the practical application of next-generation communication technology combined with flexible electronics. In this work, ultralight and mechanically durable graphene/carbon fiber composite aerogels (CGAs) are synthesized via solvothermal reaction and freeze-drying. The as-prepared CGAs demonstrate excellent compatible electromag-netic wave absorption and shielding performance in both gigahertz (GHz) and terahertz (THz) bands without addition of magnetic component. Specifically, a broad efficient absorption bandwidth of 8.72 GHz at 2-18 GHz and a high mean absorptivity of 97.4% at 0.3-1.5 THz are achieved, respectively. Furthermore, absorbing coatings with CGAs have been proved to contribute to remarkable radar cross section reduction of 39.06 dBm2 by computer-assisted simulation. Additionally, the compressible CGA demonstrates superior and stable EMI shielding performance under in-situ compression. The EMI shielding effectiveness exceeds 35 dB in X-band when a compression ratio of 78.9% is applied. Moreover, CGAs are thermally insulating and self-extinct, making them reliable in practical application. This work provides a series of promising multifunctional lightweight EMI shielding materials for future high-frequency wireless communication.

Automated summary

In this study, ultralight and mechanically durable graphene/carbon fiber composite aerogels (CGAs) were synthesized and demonstrated excellent electromagnetic wave absorption and shielding performance. The absorbing coatings with CGAs also showed significant radar cross section reduction. Moreover, the compressible CGA exhibited stable EMI shielding performance under in-situ compression. These multifunctional lightweight materials have great potential for future high-frequency wireless communication.