Synergistic interactions between silver decorated graphene and carbon nanotubes yield flexible composites to attenuate electromagnetic radiation

Abstract

The need of today’s highly integrated electronic devices, especially working in the GHz frequencies, is to protect them from unwanted interference from neighbouring devices. Hence, lightweight, flexible, easy to process microwave absorbers were designed here by dispersing conductive multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and silver nanoparticles decorated onto two-dimensional graphene sheets (rGO@Ag) in poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). In this study, we have shown how dielectric losses can be tuned in the nanocomposites by rGO@Ag nano-hybrid; an essential criterion for energy dissipation within a material resulting in effective shielding of the incoming electromagnetic (EM) radiation. Herein, the conducting pathway for nomadic charge transfer in the PCL matrix was established by MWNTs and the attenuation was tuned by multiple scattering due to the large specific surface area of rGO@Ag. The latter was possible because of the fine dispersion state of the Ag nanoparticles which otherwise often agglomerate if mixed separately. The effect of individual nanoparticles on microwave attenuation was systematically assessed here. It was observed that this strategy resulted in strikingly enhanced microwave attenuation in PCL nanocomposites in contrast to addition of individual particles. For instance, PCL nanocomposites containing both MWNTs and rGO@Ag manifested in a SET of −37 dB and, interestingly, at arelatively smaller fraction. The SE shown by this particular composite makes it a potential candidate for many commercial applications as reflected by its exceptional absorption capability (91.3%).