Sustainable cellulose-based multifunctional material for electromagnetic shielding, flame retardancy and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Biomass-derived materials are gaining traction for sustainable, multifunctional applications.
• Wood's porous cellulose structure, after delignification, serves as an ideal substrate for advanced composites.
• Developing materials with electromagnetic shielding, flame retardancy, and antibacterial properties is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a novel, sustainable, multifunctional electromagnetic shielding material.
• To utilize delignified wood as a cellulose-based platform for composite fabrication.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of composite components on material properties.

Main Methods:

• Constructed a sandwich-like cellulose composite using in-situ polymerization of aniline on delignified wood.
• Coated the structure with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/carbon nanotube (CNT) layer.
• Evaluated electrical conductivity, electromagnetic shielding efficiency, flame retardancy, antibacterial activity, and water repellency.

Main Results:

• The PDMS/CNT/polyaniline (PANI) wood-activated material achieved 26 dB shielding efficiency at the X band.
• Exhibited excellent electrical conductivity (18.6 S/m).
• Demonstrated significant flame retardancy (reduced HRR, THR, HRC by 84%, 53.4%, 83.3% respectively) and antibacterial activity. PDMS coating provided a water contact angle of 105°.

Conclusions:

• The developed cellulose composite offers a sustainable and effective solution for multifunctional electromagnetic shielding.
• The hierarchical structure and conductive network contribute to superior performance.
• This approach provides a new strategy for designing advanced, eco-friendly materials.