Beyond Ti3C2Tx: MXenes for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

New ultrathin and multifunctional electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials are required for protecting electronics against electromagnetic pollution in the fifth-generation networks and Internet of Things era. Micrometer-thin Ti3C2Tx MXene films have shown the best EMI shielding performance among synthetic materials so far. Yet, the effects of elemental composition, layer structure, and transition-metal arrangement on EMI shielding properties of MXenes have not been explored, despite the fact that more than 30 different MXenes have been reported, and many more are possible. Conventional metals provide excellent barriers against electromagnetic waves, but metal foils cannot be used in tiny microelectronic devices, and deposition of thin metal films onto uneven device surfaces is not an easy task.