Graphene family, and their hybrid structures for electromagnetic interference shielding applications: Recent trends and prospects

The ever-increasing demand for portable smart devices through an extensive range of military, commercial, industrial, and consumer sectors has faced scientists with various challenges. Electromagnetic (EM) pollution is a critical issue threatening the general function of surrounding electronic systems and human well-being. The graphene family (GF) has been investigated thoroughly during the last decade to satisfy the need for light and cost-effective portable devices and address EM pollution and effective shielding devices from its adverse effects. GF has presented an incredible ability to attenuate the EM pollution and, therefore, be used as an alternative for the conventional metal-based electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. Due to the importance of this topic and the necessity of finding a practical solution for the real-life application of EMI shielding materials, we report the recent research progress and development status of using GFs as EMI shielding materials in a broad frequency range. This review surveys the shielding effectiveness of graphene as a two-dimensional (2D) structure (freestanding thin film and coating), skeleton, filler in polymers’ matrix, and three-dimensional (3D) structure (foam and aerogel). Moreover, the shielding mechanism of the materials is investigated comprehensively. This review will briefly discuss the importance of using graphene as an alternative to the conventional shielding material. In the following sections, the EMI shielding performance of graphene as 2D structure, skeleton, filler, and 3D structure is reviewed, and the influence of their conductivity, thickness, and composition on their shielding characteristics is investigated. Finally, the outlooks and conclusions of the recent research will be discussed.