MXene@c-MWCNT Adhesive Silica Nanofiber Membranes Enhancing Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Thermal Insulation Performance in Extreme Environments

Abstract A lightweight flexible thermally stable composite is fabricated by combining silica nanofiber membranes (SNM) with MXene@c-MWCNT hybrid film. The flexible SNM with outstanding thermal insulation are prepared from tetraethyl orthosilicate hydrolysis and condensation by electrospinning and high-temperature calcination; the MXene@c-MWCNT x:y films are prepared by vacuum filtration technology. In particular, the SNM and MXene@c-MWCNT 6:4 as one unit layer (SMC 1 ) are bonded together with 5 wt% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution, which exhibits low thermal conductivity (0.066 W m −1 K −1 ) and good electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance (average EMI SE T , 37.8 dB). With the increase in functional unit layer, the overall thermal insulation performance of the whole composite film (SMC x ) remains stable, and EMI shielding performance is greatly improved, especially for SMC 3 with three unit layers, the average EMI SE T is as high as 55.4 dB. In addition, the organic combination of rigid SNM and tough MXene@c-MWCNT 6:4 makes SMC x exhibit good mechanical tensile strength. Importantly, SMC x exhibit stable EMI shielding and excellent thermal insulation even in extreme heat and cold environment. Therefore, this work provides a novel design idea and important reference value for EMI shielding and thermal insulation components used in extreme environmental protection equipment in the future.