Lightweight, flexible and freestanding PVA/PEDOT: PSS/Ag NWs film for high-performance electromagnetic interference shielding

In order to fulfill the ever-growing requirements for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials, achieving a high efficiency with great flexibility is still a big challenge. Herein, high-performance EMI shielding composite films with excellent mechanical properties were fabricated via a convenient evaporation method using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and silver nanowires (Ag NWs) as conductive fillers. By adding 1.38 wt% Ag NWs into the original polyvinyl alcohol/PEDOT: PSS (PVA/PEDOT:PSS) composite, the obtained film with a thickness of about 20 µm shows a remarkable EMI shielding performance (~33 dB) and a special EMI shielding efficiency of 16,800 dB cm−1 at 10 GHz. Furthermore, PVA/PEDOT: PSS/Ag NWs films present excellent tensile strength (~62.39 MPa) and elongation at break (~29.3%). The good mechanism allows the films to apply in actual harsh environments. Overall, this study will draw attention to the new films for electromagnetic shielding application.