Creation of carbon nanotube forest on nickel substrates and their electromagnetic performances with multiple functionalities

In this paper, an interesting solid carbon source-chemical vapor deposition (SCS-CVD) method is utilized to prepare carbon nanotube forests on nickel mesh (NM) and nickel foil (NF) substrates. By the thermal decomposition of a solid carbon source and in-situ catalyzing process. The prepared NF/CNT composite possesses excellent hydrophobicity, Joule heating, photothermal conversion and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance. The “CNT forest” architecture provides a stable superhydrophobic surface with a water contact angle of 149.82°, ensuring chemical durability in corrosive environments. In addition, the NF/CNT composite displays impressive Joule heating properties with a fast response speed. Driven by a low voltage, the temperature of the NF/CNT composite can reach 62.5 °C within only 10 s. The 0.05 mm 800 °C NF/CNT composite shows an exceptional heating rate, surpassing 90 °C within the first 10 s under simulated sunlight with a power density of 150 mW/cm² and eventually stabilizing at an equilibrium temperature of approximately 104 °C. Furthermore, at a thickness of 0.1 mm, the total shielding effectiveness (SE_T) of the NF/CNT composite can reach as high as 115.5 dB. In contrast with conventional rigid or bulky EMI shielding materials, fabrication of carbon nanotube forest on thin metal substrate provides a low-cost and scalable strategy to integrate electromagnetic protection, hydrophobicity and energy conversion for potential industrial applications.