Simultaneous in-situ reduction and foaming synthesis of magnetic MXene/rGO porous films for enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding
Hongli Cheng, Yajun Xue, Ming Huang, Bing Zhou, Yuezhan Feng, Liwei Mi, Xianhu Liu, Chuntai Liu
Abstract
Lightweight, porous and conductive films represent a promising solution for effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Nevertheless, the simultaneous integration of porous architectures and electromagnetic synergistic components remains a significant challenge. Herein, this work presents an innovative fabrication strategy that combines sequential vacuum-assisted filtration with in-situ hydrazine hydrate-mediated foaming. This approach simultaneously constructs a 3D porous architecture while reducing nickel precursors to magnetic nanoparticles, ultimately yielding lightweight MXene/rGO-Ni (fMG-Ni) porous films with tunable electromagnetic properties. The engineered porous architecture facilitates multiple internal reflections and scattering of electromagnetic waves, while the synergistic combination of conductive MXene/rGO and magnetic Ni components induces complementary dielectric and magnetic loss mechanisms. These combined effects endow the porous film with effective EMI shielding properties. The optimized fMG-Ni porous film with an ultralow density of 0.246 g/cm³ and a minimal thickness of 163 μm exhibits an outstanding electrical conductivity of 1,062.81 S/m and an EMI shielding effectiveness of 37.9 dB in X-band, achieving a high specific shielding efficiency of 9,452 dB·cm²·g⁻¹ and long-term stability (94.3% retention after 5 months). This work establishes a new paradigm for designing ultralight, high-performance EMI shielding materials for next-generation aerospace, flexible electronics and telecommunication applications.