Regenerable and Ultraflexible Sustainable Film Derived from Tree Gum Kondagogu for High-Performance Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Abstract

Advancement in technology has miniaturized electronic gadgets capable of functioning at a high speed, especially in a world pitching toward 5G. With the growing demand for electronics as well as small portable devices, electromagnetic pollution is precipitously emerging as a critical problem affecting human health and the environment. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) radiation in particular causes multiple concerns, ranging from the malfunctioning of data to its effect on the performance of electronic devices, and also can affect the functions of the human body. An ideal solution would entail the introduction of sustainable materials that can effectively shield electromagnetic radiation while offering the desirable high mechanical strength and recyclability. Herein, freestanding nanocomposite films are designed comprising multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) with a tree gum/alginate conjugate, which provide a sustainable, recyclable, and ultraflexible shielding platform (100 μm) for EMI shielding and have the highest value for specific shielding effectiveness (2531 dB cm2 g–1). In addition, the MWCNT/tree gum/alginate nanocomposite films may be recycled and demonstrably reused for more than five cycles, which affords a milestone for future research related to recyclable materials for EMI shielding.