Novel strategy for achieving high-efficiency EMI shielding and thermal stability in flexible transparent conductive films through CERGO/AgNWs/MXene multilayer structures

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) have attracted significant attention as an alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO) in flexible transparent conductive films (TCFs) due to their excellent electrical conductivity and high optical transmittance. However, AgNWs face numerous challenges in practical applications, including sparse linear arrangement leading to inter-wire gaps, thermal instability, and poor adhesion to substrates. To address these challenges, this study developed a CERGO/AgNWs/MXene multilayer sandwich-structured TCFs. Firstly, a conductive layer was formed by spin-coating MXene and AgNWs; secondly, a CERGO nano-protection layer was generated on the film surface via cathodic electrochemical reduction (CER). This method not only enhanced the film's stability and reduced sheet resistance but also improved electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance while maintaining high optical transmittance. The prepared multifunctional TCFs exhibited a transmittance of 74.85% at 550 nm, a sheet resistance of 2.78 Ω/sq., and a figure of merit (FOM) of 435. Additionally, the film showed uniform heating performance, rapid thermal response, and high stability, reaching 131.4 °C at 4 V, and achieved an EMI shielding efficiency (SE) of 37.28 dB in the X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz). This study provides a new strategy for developing next-generation multifunctional TCFs with enhanced EMI shielding performance and thermal stability.