Fe3O4 nanoparticles decorated flexible carbon foam for efficient electromagnetic interference shielding

Magnetic nanomaterials have been shown to be effective additives to conductive materials for enhancing electromagnetic interference shielding (EMI) shielding performance, but the comprehensive mechanism remains unknown. Herein, a 3D flexible carbon foam composite decorated with Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles was designed and constructed. The composite exhibited good flexibility and mechanical strength (approximately 45 KPa). Due to the synergistic effect of dielectric and magnetic losses, the composite delivered a shielding effectiveness (SE) of 21 dB in the X-band and a corresponding specific SE (SSE) value of 210 dB cm 2 /g. The transmission coefficient ( T ) was discovered to be as low as 0.008, indicating that the composite can successfully shield EM, while the reflection coefficient ( R ) was found to be higher than the absorption coefficient ( A ). Moreover, the complicated permittivity, permeability, and magnetism magnetization of the composite were discussed in order to better understand the origin of the composite's shielding behavior.