Hybrid Foams based on Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Cellulose Nanocrystals for Anisotropic Electromagnetic Shielding and Heat Transport

Lightweight and mechanically robust hybrid foams based on cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) with an anisotropic structure are prepared by directional ice-templating. The anisotropic hybrid CNC-MWCNT foams displayed a combination of highly anisotropic thermal conductivity and an orientation-dependent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding with a maximum EMI shielding efficiency (EMI-SE) of 41-48 dB between 8 and 12 GHz for the hybrid foam with 22 wt% MWCNT. The EMI-SE is dominated by absorption (SEA) which is important for microwave absorber applications. Modelling of the low radial thermal conductivity highlighted the importance of phonon scattering at the heterogeneous CNC-MWCNT interfaces while the axial thermal conductivity is dominated by the solid conduction along the aligned rod-like particles. The lightweight CNC-MWCNT foams combination of an anisotropic thermal conductivity and EMI shielding efficiency is unusual and can be useful for directional heat transport and EMI shielding. Hybrid foams with aligned macropore channels based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) revealed a high and orientation-dependent electromagnetic (EM) shielding efficiency and displayed a highly anisotropic thermal conductivity. The anisotropic lightweight CNC-MWCNT foams can enable directional heat transport and EM shielding devices. image