Electrospinning for electromagnetic interference shielding: Principles, challenges, and future directions

Electrospinning is an electrohydrodynamic process in which a liquid droplet is electrified to generate a charged jet that undergoes stretching and elongation to form fibers. This technique is widely recognized for fabricating nonwoven wearable textiles, with promising applications in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for healthcare and military systems. Effective EMI shields depend largely on electrical conductivity; however, electrospinning faces significant challenges when processing conductive materials due to excessive charge dissipation, jet instability, and unintended electrospraying instead of fiber formation. Here, we critically examine these challenges to elucidate the relationship between electrical conductivity and electrospinnability, identifying key bottlenecks in the field. Additionally, the recent progress in transitioning from reflection-based electrospun EMI shields to absorption-dominant ones is discussed in detail. Finally, we outline future directions that include strategies for absorption-dominant shielding, highlight the synergistic potential of electrospinning and electrospraying for scalable production, and advocate for the integration of machine learning tools to accelerate the design of next-generation EMI shielding materials. This review aims to bridge the gap between fundamental research and real-world applications, addressing critical challenges and paving the way toward high-performance, wearable EMI shielding technologies.