Flexible and Waterproof 2D/1D/0D Construction of MXene-Based Nanocomposites for Electromagnetic Wave Absorption, EMI Shielding, and Photothermal Conversion

TLDR

High‑performance electromagnetic wave absorption and EMI shielding materials with multifunctional properties are highly sought after, yet remain a significant challenge. The authors developed an electrostatic assembly method to fabricate Ti₃C₂Tₓ/CNTs/Co nanocomposites that combine excellent electromagnetic absorption, EMI shielding, flexibility, hydrophobicity, and photothermal conversion. The superior absorption and shielding arise from charge carriers, electric/magnetic dipole and interfacial polarization, natural resonance, and multiple internal reflections, while a thin PDMS layer renders the composite hydrophobic and protects MXene from humidity‑induced degradation. The resulting film delivers a reflection loss of –85.8 dB at 1.4 mm thickness, an EMI shielding efficiency of 110.1 dB, and durable photothermal performance, positioning it as a promising multifunctional material for next‑generation electromagnetic attenuation systems.

Abstract

High-performance electromagnetic wave absorption and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials with multifunctional characters have attracted extensive scientific and technological interest, but they remain a huge challenge. Here, we reported an electrostatic assembly approach for fabricating 2D/1D/0D construction of Ti3C2Tx/carbon nanotubes/Co nanoparticles (Ti3C2Tx/CNTs/Co) nanocomposites with an excellent electromagnetic wave absorption, EMI shielding efficiency, flexibility, hydrophobicity, and photothermal conversion performance. As expected, a strong reflection loss of -85.8 dB and an ultrathin thickness of 1.4 mm were achieved. Meanwhile, the high EMI shielding efficiency reached 110.1 dB. The excellent electromagnetic wave absorption and shielding performances were originated from the charge carriers, electric/magnetic dipole polarization, interfacial polarization, natural resonance, and multiple internal reflections. Moreover, a thin layer of polydimethylsiloxane rendered the hydrophilic hierarchical Ti3C2Tx/CNTs/Co hydrophobic, which can prevent the degradation/oxidation of the MXene in high humidity condition. Interestingly, the Ti3C2Tx/CNTs/Co film exhibited a remarkable photothermal conversion performance with high thermal cycle stability and tenability. Thus, the multifunctional Ti3C2Tx/CNTs/Co nanocomposites possessing a unique blend of outstanding electromagnetic wave absorption and EMI shielding, light-driven heating performance, and flexible water-resistant features were highly promising for the next-generation intelligent electromagnetic attenuation system.