Salisbury screen structure to enhance the spectral defense performance of cellulose-based composite

A cellulose‑based Salisbury‑screen composite achieves 90.8 dB EMI shielding at 1.3 mm. • The screen provides strong reflection and destructive interference for high shielding. • It combines low emissivity and thermal insulation for excellent infrared stealth. The development of materials that seamlessly integrate electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and infrared stealth is of vital importance in addressing the challenges of complex electromagnetic environments and advanced multi-spectral detection. However, conventional metallic spectral defense materials suffer from high thermal conductivity and high density, making it difficult to meet the requirements for lightweight, high-performance materials. Herein, we incorporated the classic Salisbury screen structure into cellulose-based composites to overcome this problem. The composite featured a “conductor-insulator-conductor” architecture consisting of a cellulose nanofiber (CNF)/metal carbides/nitrides (MXene) film as the conductive layer and a CNF/gelatin aerogel as the insulating layer. This design exploited high interfacial reflection and phase-delay‑induced destructive interference, achieving an EMI shielding effectiveness of up to 90.8 dB at a thickness of only 1.3 mm. Simultaneously, the Salisbury screen configuration inherited the low infrared emissivity of MXene and the thermal insulation capability of the aerogel, substantially reducing the radiation temperature of the hot target surface and exhibiting outstanding infrared stealth performance. By modulating a sustainable cellulose platform with a classic wave‑interference architecture, this work establishes a new paradigm for next‑generation spectrally compatible defense materials that combine high‑performance EMI shielding and infrared stealth in a lightweight, eco‑friendly composite. Download: Download high-res image (498KB) Download: Download full-size image