Efficient MXene/CNT electromagnetic shielding composite films with self-assembly multilayer structure

The rapid development and extensive use of electronic equipment have brought about increasingly serious electromagnetic pollution; developing highly flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding material with high-electromagnetic shielding efficiency is of great significance. However, most EMI materials suffer from insufficient flexibility and complicated preparation methods. Herein, two kinds of multilayer MXene/CNT hybrid films were prepared by alternating filtration and mixing filtration, respectively. Surprisingly, the films with selfassembly structure prepared by mixing filtration exhibit higher electrical conductivity (295 S/m), electromagnetic shielding performance (46.52 dB) and specific shielding effectiveness (43,487 dB cm(2) g(-1)) at a thickness of 0.055 mm, compared to the films with alternating structure prepared by alternating filtration. These excellent properties are due to the reduction of self-accumulation and contact resistance between MXene in the self-assembly structure. And the films can be easily folded into the shape of an airplane, which shows their great flexibility. Our work provides a facile and feasible method for preparing the composite films for EMI shielding applications.

Automated summary

The rapid development and extensive use of electronic equipment have led to serious electromagnetic pollution. It is important to develop highly flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials with high efficiency. However, most EMI materials lack flexibility and have complicated preparation methods. In this study, two types of multilayer MXene/CNT hybrid films were prepared using different filtration methods. The films with self-assembly structure exhibited higher electrical conductivity, electromagnetic shielding performance, and specific shielding effectiveness compared to the films with alternating structure. These films also demonstrated excellent flexibility and could be folded into the shape of an airplane. This research provides a simple and feasible method for preparing composite films for EMI shielding applications.