Materials with good flexibility and high conductivity that can provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding with minimal thickness are highly desirable, especially if they can be easily processed into films. Two-dimensional metal carbides and nitrides, known as MXenes, combine metallic conductivity and hydrophilic surfaces. Here, we demonstrate the potential of several MXenes and their polymer composites for EMI shielding. A 45-micrometer-thick Ti3C2Tx film exhibited EMI shielding effectiveness of 92 decibels (>50 decibels for a 2.5-micrometer film), which is the highest among synthetic materials of comparable thickness produced to date. This performance originates from the excellent electrical conductivity of Ti3C2Tx films (4600 Siemens per centimeter) and multiple internal reflections from Ti3C2Tx flakes in free-standing films. The mechanical flexibility and easy coating capability offered by MXenes and their composites enable them to shield surfaces of any shape while providing high EMI shielding efficiency.

Electromagnetic interference shielding with 2D transition metal carbides (MXenes)

Hexagonal ferrites: A review of the synthesis, properties and applications of hexaferrite ceramics

Carbon (C) is a crucial material for many branches of modern technology. A growing number of demanding applications in electronics and telecommunications rely on the unique properties of C allotropes. The need for microwave absorbers and radar-absorbing materials is ever growing in military applications (reduction of radar signature of aircraft, ships, tanks, and targets) as well as in civilian applications (reduction of electromagnetic interference among components and circuits, reduction of the back-radiation of microstrip radiators). Whatever the application for which the absorber is intended, weight reduction and optimization of the operating bandwidth are two important issues. A composite absorber that uses carbonaceous particles in combination with a polymer matrix offers a large flexibility for design and properties control, as the composite can be tuned and optimized via changes in both the carbonaceous inclusions (C black, C nanotube, C fiber, graphene) and the embedding matrix (rubber, thermoplastic). This paper offers a perspective on the experimental efforts toward the development of microwave absorbers composed of carbonaceous inclusions in a polymer matrix. The absorption properties of such composites can be tailored through changes in geometry, composition, morphology, and volume fraction of the filler particles. Polymercomposites filled with carbonaceous particles provide a versatile system to probe physical properties at the nanoscale of fundamental interest and of relevance to a wide range of potential applications that span radar absorption, electromagnetic protection from natural phenomena (lightning), shielding for particle accelerators in nuclear physics, nuclear electromagnetic pulse protection, electromagnetic compatibility for electronic devices, high-intensity radiated field protection, anechoic chambers, and human exposure mitigation. Carbonaceous particles are also relevant to future applications that require environmentally benign and mechanically flexible materials.

A review and analysis of microwave absorption in polymer composites filled with carbonaceous particles

Light-weight nanocomposites filled with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are developed for their significant potentials in electromagnetic shielding and attenuation for wide applications in electronics, communication devices, and specific parts in aircrafts and vehicles. Specifically, the introduction of a second phase into/onto CNTs for achieving CNT-based heterostructures has been widely pursued due to the enhancement in either dielectric loss or magnetic loss. In this work, ferroferric oxide (Fe(3)O(4)) was selected as the phase in multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-based composites for enhancing magnetic properties to obtain improved electromagnetic attenuation. A direct comparison between the two-phase heterostructures (Fe(3)O(4)/MWCNTs) and polyaniline (PANI) coated Fe(3)O(4)/MWCNTs, namely, three-phase heterostructures (PANI/Fe(3)O(4)/MWCNTs), was made to investigate the interface influences of Fe(3)O(4) and PANI on the complex permittivity and permeability separately. Compared to PANI/Fe(3)O(4)/MWCNTs, Fe(3)O(4)/MWCNTs exhibited enhanced magnetic properties coupled with increased dielectric properties. Interfaces between MWCNTs and heterostructures were found to play a role in the corresponding properties. The evaluation of microwave absorption of their wax composites was carried out, and the comparison between Fe(3)O(4)/MWCNTs and PANI/Fe(3)O(4)/MWCNTs with respect to highly efficient microwave absorption and effective absorption bandwidth was discussed.

Ferroferric Oxide/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube vs Polyaniline/Ferroferric Oxide/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Multiheterostructures for Highly Effective Microwave Absorption

EMI shielding effectiveness of carbon based nanostructured polymeric materials: A comparative study

Single-wall carbon nanotube/polyaniline (SWCNT/PANI) and graphene sheet/polyaniline (GS/PANI) composites were prepared by a simple alcohol-assisted dispersion and pressing process. The SWCNTs and GSs were synthesized by the dc arc-discharge method. The dc electrical conductivity and the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) of these two kinds of composites were measured. The experimental results reveal that the conductivity and the EMI SE of the GS/PANI composite are better than that of the SWCNT/PANI composite, and the absorption proportion of the SWCNT/PANI composite is higher than that of the GS/PANI composite. The EMI shielding results (2–18 GHz) also show that both composites present an absorption-dominant mechanism and present a wide application prospect in the field of EMI shielding and microwave absorption.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/45/23/235108/pdf

Comparison of electromagnetic interference shielding properties between single-wall carbon nanotube and graphene sheet/polyaniline composites

Mass-production of highly-crystalline few-layer graphene sheets by arc discharge in various H2–inert gas mixtures

Single-walled carbon nanotubes were facilely and abundantly synthesized by low-pressure air arc discharge method (LPA-SWCNTs), and CoFe2O4 nanocrystals were synthesized by a nitrate citric acid sol–gel auto-ignition method. The electromagnetic and microwave absorption properties of LPA-SWCNTs, CoFe2O4 nanocrystals and their nanocomposites were investigated. The LPA-SWCNT/CoFe2O4 nanocomposites showed excellent microwave absorption properties. The minimum efficient reflection loss is −30.7 dB at 12.9 GHz for 10 wt% of LPA-SWCNTs in the nanocomposites, and an effective absorption bandwidth with a reflection loss below −10 dB is 7.2 GHz. The Debye equation and impedance matching were introduced to explain the microwave absorption properties. Compared with the single-component materials, the LPA-SWCNT/CoFe2O4 nanocomposites are an excellent candidate for microwave absorbers.

Electromagnetic and microwave absorption properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes and CoFe2O4 nanocomposites

Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) with high graphitization have been synthesized by hydrogen arc discharge. The obtained DWCNTs have a narrow distribution of diameters of both the inner and outer tubes, and more than half of the DWCNTs have inner diameters in the range 0.6-1.0 nm. Field electron emission from a DWCNT cathode to an anode has been measured, and the emission current density of DWCNTs reached 1 A/cm2 at an applied field of about 4.3 V/{\mu}m. After high-temperature treatment of DWCNTs, long linear carbon chains (C-chains) can be grown inside the ultra-thin DWCNTs to form a novel C-chain@DWCNT nanostructure, showing that these ultra-thin DWCNTs are an appropriate nanocontainer for preparing truly one-dimensional nanostructures with one-atom-diameter.

Ultra-Thin Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes A Novel Nanocontainer for Preparing Atomic Wires

Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) with high graphitization have been synthesized by hydrogen arc discharge. The obtained DWCNTs have a narrow distribution of diameters of both the inner and outer tubes, and more than half of the DWCNTs have inner diameters in the range 0.6–1.0 nm. Field electron emission from a DWCNT cathode to an anode has been measured, and the emission current density of DWCNTs reached 1 A/cm2 at an applied field of about 4.3 V/μm. After high-temperature treatment of DWCNTs, long linear carbon chains (C-chains) can be grown inside the ultra-thin DWCNTs to form a novel C-chain@DWCNT nanostructure, showing that these ultra-thin DWCNTs are an appropriate nanocontainer for preparing truly one-dimensional nanostructures with one-atom-diameter.

Kang An

Papers

Comparison of electromagnetic interference shielding properties between single-wall carbon nanotube and graphene sheet/polyaniline composites

Mass-production of highly-crystalline few-layer graphene sheets by arc discharge in various H2–inert gas mixtures

Electromagnetic and microwave absorption properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes and CoFe2O4 nanocomposites

Ultra-Thin Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes A Novel Nanocontainer for Preparing Atomic Wires

Ultra-thin double-walled carbon nanotubes: A novel nanocontainer for preparing atomic wires