Recent progress on multifunctional electromagnetic interference shielding polymer composites

Abstract

• The review discusses the basic theory, attenuation mechanisms and characterization methods of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. • The recent progress of multifunctional EMI shielding polymer composites are summarized and discussed with respect to their structures, fabrication methods and specific functions. • The critical scientific and technical issues for EMI shielding composites with different functions are proposed, and the main challenges in the development of multifunctional polymer-based EMI shielding materials are presented. The explosive development of electronic devices and wireless communication technology gives rise to the issue of electromagnetic pollution, known as electromagnetic interference (EMI). The accumulation of undesirable electromagnetic radiation in space disturbs the normal function of unshielded electronic appliances and poses seriously threat to human health. Thus, the development of EMI shielding materials have emerged to solve the grim problem. Considering the complex application contexts, EMI shielding materials have evolved from traditional single-function to multi-functions to meet the ever-increasing application requirements in recent few years. This paper provides detailed insight into the current research status and future challenges in the advancement of polymer-based EMI shielding materials with various functions. First, the basic theory of EMI shielding, factors influencing results and the dominating characterization technologies for EMI shielding properties are summarized. Then, the comprehensive descriptions of the seven types of multifunctional EMI shields are provided with respect to their structures, fabrication methods and specific functions. Meanwhile, the corresponding critical scientific and technical issues are proposed. Based on our comprehensive analysis, the main challenges in the development of multifunctional EMI shielding materials are presented. This review aims to provide some guidance and inspire more efforts toward functional EMI shielding material research to satisfy the growing requirements for next-generation electronic systems.