A Sandwich Structural Filter Paper-AgNWs/MXene Composite for Superior Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Electromagnetics

Background:

• Modern military applications require advanced thin, lightweight, and flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials.
• Existing solutions often lack the necessary performance or flexibility for demanding environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel sandwich-structured EMI shielding paper composite.
• To enhance electrical conductivity and EMI shielding effectiveness using silver nanowires (AgNWs) and MXene.
• To create a material suitable for military and medical fields.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a sandwich-structured composite using filter paper, AgNWs/MXene, and polyvinyl butyral (PVB) layers.
• Construction via vacuum-assisted filtration, spraying, and air-drying techniques.
• Characterization of electrical conductivity and EMI shielding performance.

Main Results:

• Achieved excellent electrical conductivity of 166 S cm^-1 in the AgNWs/MXene layer.
• The filter paper-AgNWs/MXene-PVB composite demonstrated superior EMI shielding of 30 dB at a thickness of 141 μm.
• Attained a high specific EMI shielding effectiveness (SSE/t) of 13,000 dB cm² g^-1 in the X-band frequency range.

Conclusions:

• The developed cellulose-based composite exhibits one of the highest SSE/t values reported for EMI shielding materials.
• The sandwich-structured paper composite offers a promising solution for effective EMI shielding in critical applications.
• The material's properties make it suitable for integration into advanced military and medical devices.