Synthesis of hollow Cu_1.8S nano-cubes for electromagnetic interference shielding

The applications of inorganic semiconductor nano-structures as electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials have been scarcely researched. Herein, we have designed hollow Cu_1.8S nano-cubes via a mild anion exchange and etching process. These 30 wt% hollow Cu_1.8S nano-cubes loaded in wax can display 30 dB of EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) in the whole tested frequency range of 2-18 GHz with a sample thickness of only 1 mm. This good EMI shielding performance can be attributed to the high electric conductivity, which leads to a high dielectric constant. This research opens up the possibility for the applications of inorganic semiconductor nano-structures as lightweight EMI shielding materials, especially in the areas of aerospace, automobile and sophisticated electronics.