Ultrahigh Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Integrated Thermal Sensing-encryption Enabled by a Honeycomb-inspired Multifunctional Foam
摘要
With the rapid development of intelligent electronic and military equipment, multifunctional flexible materials that integrat electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, temperature sensing, and information encryption are urgently required. This study presents a bio-inspired hierarchical composite foam fabricated using supercritical nitrogen foaming technology. This material exhibits a honeycomb structure, with pore cell sizes controllable within a range of 30–92 µm by regulating the filler. The carbon fiber felt (CFf) provides efficient reflection of electromagnetic waves, while the chloroprene rubber/carbon fiber /carbon black foam facilitates both wave absorption and temperature monitoring through its optimized conductive network. This synergistic mechanism results in an EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of 60.06 dB with excellent temperature sensing performance (The temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) is −2.642%/°C) in the 24–70 °C range. Notably, the material has a thermal conductivity of up to 0.159 W/(m·K), and the bio-inspired layered design enables information encryption, demonstrating the material’s potential for secure communication applications. The foam also has tensile properties of up to 5.13 MPa and a tear strength of 33.02 N/mm. This biomimetic design overcomes the traditional limitations of flexible materials and provides a transformative solution for next-generation applications such as flexible electronics, aerospace systems and military equipment, which urgently need integrated electromagnetic protection, thermal management and information security.