Succulent-Inspired Implicit Structural Change for Smart "ON/OFF" Switchable and Flexible EMI Shielding Coating.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Miniaturized electronics require smart, flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials.
• Existing switchable EMI shielding materials often rely on explicit structural changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel switchable MXene coating film with inner implicit structural change for EMI shielding.
• To utilize reversible large-cavity yolk-shell biomicrospheres for tunable shielding properties.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of novel yolk-shell biomicrospheres with a PNIPAM hydrogel core, switchable cavity, and p-PDA shell.
• Integration of biomicrospheres into a MXene framework to create a WR-MXene coating film.
• Characterization of the switchable shielding performance in the X band.

Main Results:

• The WR-MXene coating film exhibits an ultralight and flexible nature.
• Achieved a large switchable change of over 60 dB in EMI shielding.
• Demonstrated extraordinary EMI shielding effectiveness, reaching 95 dB and over 50 dB in the X band.

Conclusions:

• The developed succulent-inspired switchable coating films offer promising solutions for smart flexible wearable devices.
• The novel reversible yolk-shell biomicrospheres enable dynamic real-time response in multifunctional systems.
• This approach provides a new pathway for advanced EMI shielding materials with tunable properties.