Asymmetric hybrid carbonaceous membranes with exceptional electromagnetic interference shielding and superior electro-photo-thermal performance

Multifunctional carbon fiber (CF)–based composite membranes engineered for superior electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and advanced thermal management are fabricated by decorating wrinkled reduced graphene oxide (rGO) onto CF networks to form carbon nanofiber/rGO (CFG) composite membranes, followed by the assembly of a highly conductive silver nanowire (AgNW) layer. With a desired carbonization temperature and an asymmetric configuration design, the asymmetric hybrid carbonaceous membranes demonstrated a high electrical conductivity of 3900 S m⁻¹ and achieved an enhanced EMI shielding effectiveness of up to 84.5 dB within the X-band frequency range, which is attributed to the special “absorption-reflection-reabsorption” EM wave shielding mechanism enabled by the AgNW reflection layer and the hybrid conductive network. Additionally, the membranes exhibit robust photothermal responses characterized by excellent cycling stability and tunability under light irradiation, owing to their light scattering and synergistic effects. Remarkably, the multifunctional membranes attain a rapid temperature increase, reaching 165 °C under a modest 5 V input. This work provides valuable insights and opens up new avenues for the development of high-performance, multifunctional CF-based membranes, holding great promise for applications in efficient EMI shielding and temperature management.

The carbon fiber (CF)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/silver nanowire (AgNW) asymmetric hybrid carbonaceous CFG-Ag membranes were fabricated, and the as-obtained samples possessed excellent electromagnetic interference shielding and superior electro-photo-thermal performance.