Stable and Elastic Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Composites with Microtubule-Like Silver Nanoparticles via...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Elastic composites are crucial for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding in electronics.
• Balancing resilience and EMI shielding effectiveness in these materials is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for creating elastic composites with enhanced EMI shielding.
• To investigate the properties of silver nanoparticle-infused polydimethylsiloxane composites.

Main Methods:

• A swelling-dissolution strategy was employed to create a 3D conductive network of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) within polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).
• Characterization of electrical conductivity, EMI shielding effectiveness, and mechanical properties under various conditions.

Main Results:

• The PDMS/AgNP composites achieved high electrical conductivity (2511.9 S/m) and EMI shielding (111.1 dB).
• Exceptional strain recovery (≈99%) was observed across a wide temperature range (-40 to 130 °C) and under 50% compression.
• Maintained over 92% of EMI shielding performance after exposure to harsh environments.

Conclusions:

• The developed PDMS/AgNP composites offer a promising solution for robust EMI shielding in extreme environments.
• These materials demonstrate significant potential for use as EMI shielding elastomeric gaskets.