The design of lightweight and porous graphene-based composite paper and the study on its electromagnetic interference shielding and fire resistance

Abstract Graphene composites that take advantage of lightweight, easy processing and excellent electrical conductivity are promising candidates as functional electromagnetic shielding materials. Herein, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were prepared by hydrothermal method and then were introduced into graphene oxide dispersion. The reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/ZnO composite paper was fabricated by evaporation-assisted self-assembly and then reduced by hydrazine hydrate vapor. The results show that the shielding effect of composite paper increases with the increase in the thickness and ZnO dosage. The total electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness of RGO/ZnO composite paper with a thickness of approximately 1 mm is determined as 46.9 dB in the X band. Furthermore, this composite paper has excellent fire resistance. This lightweight and thin RGO/ZnO paper demonstrates a high-performance advanced composite for cutting-edge EMI shielding application in harsh conditions.