Electroplating of silver on graphene-modified carbon foam for high thermal conductivity and outstanding electromagnetic interference shielding performance

The modern electronics industry needs lightweight, porous materials with high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) and effective thermal management. This study proposes a straightforward electrochemical technique to produce lightweight silver-plated (Ag-plated) graphene-modified carbon foams (Gr@CFs) with good thermal conductivity and outstanding EMI shielding performance. Initially, Gr@CFs were synthesized via a sacrificial template method utilizing phenolic resin as a carbon precursor and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) as fillers, followed by carbonization at 1000ºC. Subsequently, the synthesized Gr@CFs experienced electroplating with silver (Ag) for varying durations ranging from 1 to 10 minutes. The Ag electroplating contributed to high EMI SE and endowed the Gr@CF with commendable electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The resultant Gr@CF with Ag plated for 10 minutes (Gr@CF-Ag10) possesses a remarkable combination of attributes: a high electrical conductivity of 180 S/cm, thermal conductivity of 6.0 W/m·K, and excellent EMI SE of 73.5 dB at X-band, along with enhanced compressive strength of 6.5 MPa. Moreover, the fabricated Ag-plated Gr@CFs exhibit outstanding properties that render them well-suited for application in electronic devices requiring EMI shielding and effective thermal management.