Comparative Analysis of Architecturally Tuned Nanostructured MXene/PVDF Composites for Electromagnetic Shielding

Electrically conductive, thin, and flexible materials with outstanding mechanical properties are desired to meet the electromagnetic shielding requirements of next-generation electronic devices. Herein, we report the synthesis of nanostructured MXene/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer composites by tuning the architecture by three different approaches (sandwiched, dip coated, and solution mixing) and evaluating their potential for electromagnetic shielding. A sandwich architecture (PVDF/MXene/PVDF) dominates in terms of mechanical strength (tensile strength of 40 MPa) with complete waterproof characteristics. The sandwich architecture and solution-processed composites offered a shielding effectiveness (SE) of 65 and 51 dB, respectively, with a similar weight-to-thickness ratio for 70 μm-thick samples. The dip-coated MXene nanosheet-coated PVDF film, however, demonstrated an outstanding SE of 90 dB for a small thickness of 30 μm, which is the highest value reported for comparable thickness among polymer composites. The research emphasizes the significance of structural design in regulating the properties of polymer composites, which integrate 2D nanomaterials with similar compositions.