Silver nanowires intercalating Ti3C2Tx MXene composite films with excellent flexibility for electromagnetic interference shielding

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. C, Materials for optical and electronic devices Materials for optical and electronic devices, 2020-01, Vol.8 (9), p.3120-3126
• Main Authors: Miao, Miao, Liu, Ruiting, Thaiboonrod, Sineenat, Shi, Liyi, Cao, Shaomei, Zhang, Jianfeng, Fang, Jianhui, Feng, Xin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Avionics; Electrical resistivity; Electromagnetic shielding; Electronic devices; Extrusion; Fracture surfaces; Frequency ranges; MXenes; Nanowires; Product design; Scanning electron microscopy; Size distribution; Tensile stress; Wearable technology
• ISSN: 2050-7526; 2050-7534
• DOI: 10.1039/c9tc06361g

Ultrathin, lightweight and flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding films are urgently desired for the next generation electronic devices with complex-shaped surfaces. In this study, flexible EMI shielding composite films were fabricated by intercalating sliver nanowires (AgNWs) into Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets followed by a pressured-extrusion film-forming process. The resultant MXene/AgNW composite films with a low loading of nanocellulose (0.167 wt%) as a green binder exhibited remarkable conductivity (∼30 000 S m−1) and outstanding specific EMI shielding effectiveness (SSE/t, 16 724 dB). Thanks to the strengthening mechanism of the “brick-and-mortar” layered structure, the tensile stress of the MXene/AgNW composite film dramatically improved from 1.29 MPa (pure Ti3C2Tx film) to 63.80 MPa, and the electric conductivity and EMI SE can be maintained even after bending at 135° 10 000 times. The MXene/AgNW hybrid films with excellent EMI SE and mechanical robustness offered promising applications in the fields of aerospace, defense, smart electronics and flexible/wearable devices.