3D printed SiOC architecture towards terahertz electromagnetic interference shielding and absorption

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and absorption materials can effectively mitigate the undesired pollution or noise caused by terahertz (THz) waves. The development of THz EMI shielding materials that are primarily based on absorption mechanisms to avoid secondary pollution caused by reflection is still in big demand. Herein, an absorption-dominated precursor-derived SiOC ceramic (PDC-SiOC) architecture for THz wave EMI shielding and absorption was reported. The EMI shielding properties of the bulk SiOC ceramic were studied. More than 93 % of THz EM waves were absorbed by the synthesized SiOC ceramic from 1.2 to 1.6 THz. Furthermore, lightweight honeycomb-structured SiOC architecture which was inspired by the wings of moth was fabricated by vat photopolymerization 3D printing combined with following pyrolysis. The EMI shielding properties and mechanism of the honeycomb SiOC architecture in THz bands were also discussed. The highest shielding effectiveness (SE) of the honeycomb SiOC architecture was up to 64.1 dB, and the transmissivity was below 1.4 % from 0.2 to 1.6 THz. In addition, more than 97–99.8 % of THz waves were absorbed in 0.8–1.6 THz. The excellent EMI shielding performance of the architecture was mainly attributed to its outstanding THz EM wave absorption ability. Finally, the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the architecture were further studied. The compressive and flexural strength of honeycomb architecture was 1.2 and 16.5 MPa, respectively. The result also proved that the honeycomb SiOC architecture was resistant to high temperatures up to 1100 °C under inert atmosphere. This work provides promising high-efficiency architecture towards THz EMI shielding and absorption.