Enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of carbon-based conducting polymer nanocomposites

Abstract

Carbon is always a fascinating material, the allotropes of carbon family like fullerenes, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes and various fillers that improves the Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding is of large interest in various frequency band. In the present work, initially Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) and Graphene (GNS) were functionalized to improve the interaction of conducting polymer. Polyaniline (PANI)/(MWCNT) and Polyaniline (PANI)/(GNS) were synthesized by in situ oxidative polymerization method and then characterized by SEM analysis. The electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites increases with increase in weight percent of CNT or GNS as compared to pure polyaniline. The carbon based conducting polymer nanocomposites showed semiconducting nature with enhanced EMI shielding effectiveness. The EMI Shielding effectiveness (SE) of carbon based conducting polymer nanocomposites increases with increase in weight percent of CNT or GNS. For both the nanocomposites PANI/MWCNT and PANI/GNS absorption is the mechanism which is dominant which can be used as an Electromagnetic Interference Shielding material.