Ti3C2Tx MXene Nanosheet-Based Hybrid Films for Enhanced Wave Absorption-Dominated Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Owing to its excellent electronic properties, Ti3C2Tx MXene is an emerging class of two-dimensional nanomaterials that have a promising electromagnetic (EM) wave function; however, poor impedance matching has limited the application of these materials in absorption-dominated EM interference (EMI) shielding. Hence, the investigation of thin MXene nanosheet-based film materials for application to absorption-dominated EMI shielding, which produces less EM pollution than reflection-dominated EMI shielding materials, is essential. In this study, a Ti3C2Tx/carbonyl iron–aramid hybrid film possessing absorption-dominated EMI shielding properties was prepared by using flower-like core–shell Ti3C2Tx/carbonyl iron microspheres (Ti3C2Tx/CIs) and aramid nanofibers. In the X band, the EMI shielding effectiveness of the films reached 31.9 dB with a lower SER value (below 3 dB), which means that less than 50% of the reflected incident waves and secondary EM pollution were reduced by the EMI shielding film materials. These results were attributed to superior impedance matching and multiple dissipation mechanisms of the Ti3C2Tx/CIs nanocomposites, which substantially enhanced the EM-wave absorption properties of a single MXene. The experimental results indicated that Ti3C2Tx/CIs nanocomposites showed a minimum reflection loss of −50.8 dB at 7.84 GHz. Moreover, a maximum effective absorption bandwidth of 5.5 GHz (12.48–18 GHz) was obtained at 1.60 mm, almost covering the entire Ku band. Therefore, this work provides a framework for designing MXene-based absorption-dominated EMI shielding nanocomposites.