Scalable, superelastic, and superhydrophobic MXene/silver nanowire/melamine hybrid sponges for high-performance electromagnetic interference shielding

Lightweight electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials with a simple production process, a low density, good mechanical properties and stability, and a high absolute EMI shielding effectiveness (SSE/t) are urgently demanded for spacecraft, aircraft, and portable and wearable smart electronics, yet remain extremely challenging to manufacture. Herein, scalable, superelastic, and superhydrophobic MXene/silver nanowire/melamine (MS-MAF) hybrid sponges are fabricated via a facile dip-coating method. The MS-MAF hybrid sponge exhibits an ultralow density (11.98 mg cm⁻³), a large recoverable compression strain (80%), and fatigue resistance. By the rational design of two-dimensional MXene nanosheets and one-dimensional silver nanowires on the sponge skeleton, the MS-MAF hybrid sponge can achieve a high SSE/t of 10128 dB cm² g⁻¹, significantly surpassing that of most of the other porous EMI shielding materials ever reported. Due to the treatment of low surface energy coating, the MS-MAF hybrid sponge also shows excellent structural stability and superhydrophobicity, which is conducive to its application in complex practical environments. Consequently, this work offers a promising lightweight EMI shielding candidate with the features of large-scale production, superelasticity, superhydrophobicity and a high SSE/t.