Durable and breathable EMI shielding spacer fabrics enabled by synergistic thiol and TPU coatings

The proliferation of high-power electronics and 5G technology has created an increasing demand for high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials that are durable, breathable, and comfortable for wearable applications. Although silver-coated textiles offer excellent shielding, their limited durability and susceptibility to corrosion hinder their practical use. This study develops a flexible, breathable, and corrosion-resistant electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding spacer fabric using a multi-step coating strategy. The fabric features a conductive network formed by PDA-assisted electroless silver plating, followed by a thiol self-assembled layer (HDT) and finally encapsulated with a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) coating. The optimized composite fabric demonstrates an EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of up to 57.74 dB in the X-band, with excellent air permeability (2436.1 mm s^-1), superior corrosion resistance (only 7.8% resistance change after immersion in Na₂S solution), and mechanical durability (negligible resistance changes after 3000 compression cycles). Combined with its superhydrophobicity (contact angle >140°), this fabric offers a promising solution for wearable electronics and personal protective applications.