Review on the electromagnetic interference shielding properties of carbon based materials and their novel composites: recent progress, challenges and prospects

Abstract The rapid development of electronic devices have brought increased concern on electromagnetic radiation (EMR) problems. The radiated EM waves can not only affect the normal operation of devices, but also threat people’s health. The most effective way to solve the EM pollution is to fabricate electromagnetic interference shielding materials (ESMs) and microwave absorption materials (MAMs) with lightweight, strong attenuation ability, and excellent mechanical stability. In this case, carbon materials and their nanocomposites attracted great attentions in the fields of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding due to the advantages of low density, natural abundance, easy preparation, excellent conductivity and flexibility. In this review, we firstly carried out a summary of recent achievements for carbon materials with different microstructures as ESMs/MAMs during the past five years. It is found that 3D carbon materials such as foams, sponges, and aerogels, as well as their composites are favorable for enhancing the EMI shielding efficiency. Then we introduced the latest progress of novel composites including MXene/carbon composites and metal organic frameworks (MOFs) derived porous carbon nanocomposites. In the end, current challenges and prospects were proposed toward the development of carbon based materials as ESMs/MAMs, which indicated the trend and key point for future research.