Flexible and highly conductive Ti₃C₂T_x/natural rubber composites with interconnected networks for high-performance electromagnetic interference shielding

Flexible composites showing highly conductive and outstanding electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance with minimal thickness are urgently required for flexible electronics. Two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) in fabricating conductive polymer composites have been revealed intensively. However, these composites need high MXene loading. Herein, by facile fast-forming approach, flexible Ti₃C₂T_x/natural rubber composites with 3D interconnected conductive networks were prepared, showing intact conductive framework and exhibiting outstanding electrical conductivity of 2,667 S m⁻¹ with only 1.2 vol% Ti₃C₂T_x. The EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) surpassed 34 dB in the X-band with only 50 μm thickness. Furthermore, the strong interaction between natural rubber and low content Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheets afforded the composites excellent flexibility and durability. Merely 2 dB decrease in EMI SE was revealed after being stretched to 5 % for 10,000 times. The desirable conductivity, flexibility, and superior EMI shielding performance of Ti₃C₂T_x/NR composites pave a way in next-generation flexible electronics.