Engineering

Neuroscience

Biology

Materials science

Cellulose

Telecommunications

Electromagnetic interference

Computer science

Chemical engineering

Percolation (cognitive psychology)

Nanowire

Electromagnetic shielding

Composite material

Nanofiber

Optoelectronics

Electrical conductor

Composites Part A Applied Science and Manufacturing

Exploring an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding material with lightweight, flexible and easy fabricating process to deal with the increasingly serious electromagnetic environment pollution has become a current developing trend. Here, we reported a novel cellulose nanofiber (CNF)/silver nanowire (AgNW) conductive paper with a distinctive hierarchical structure by a facile “blending-filtration-peeling” process. Results showed that the obtained paper with a thickness of ~40 μm exhibited excellent tensile strength of ~49.1 MPa, a low percolation threshold of 1.4 vol% AgNWs, no significant changes in electrical conductivity after 2000 bending. The outstanding synergy between green CNFs and AgNWs endowed the paper with high EMI shielding effectiveness of up to 39.3 dB in X band and effective shielding effects on electromagnetic signals for realistic mobile phone communication. The special CNF/AgNW papers are expected to broaden new application fields as electronic devices e.g. flexible electronic components or effective ultra-thin EMI shielding materials for daily demands.

Ultra-thin and highly flexible cellulose nanofiber/silver nanowire conductive paper for effective electromagnetic interference shielding