Ag@MXene-cellulose nanofiber composite for electromagnetic interference shielding, sensing, and actuating

With the development of flexible electronic devices, the development of flexible and multi-functional materials becomes increasingly important. In this study, we prepared Ag@MXene-cellulose nanofiber (AMC) multi-functional composites with a three-dimensional (3D) conductive network structure, which can be used for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, pressure sensing, and actuating. AMC has good electrical conductivity (18.04 S cm−1) and EMI shielding effectiveness (37.7 dB). The microstructure of the AMC surface gives it the potential to be applied in the pressure sensor. AMC is humidity-sensitive and has excellent electrical/photo-thermal conversion properties. Thus, AMC can be used to fabricate humidity-driven actuators and electrical/light-driven actuators. Finally, three multi-functional devices/systems have been carefully designed to achieve the fabrication of multi-functional devices/systems that rely on only one raw material, which significantly simplifies the preparation of multi-functional devices. We hope this research will open up new ways for artificial muscles, soft robots, and EMI shielding devices. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.