Graphene sheets stacked polyacrylate latex composites for ultra-efficient electromagnetic shielding

Graphene sheets (GS) are at the forefront of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding/attenuation materials science research because of their excellent electrical properties (Wen B et al 2014 Adv. Mater. 26 3484, Zhang Y et al 2015 Adv. Mater. 27 2049). GS/polyacrylate (PA) composites were prepared using a solvent-free latex technology, which favored the build-up of a segregated GS architecture stacked in the polymer matrix. GS were obtained from graphite flakes (GF) via a mechanical delamination approach in water. The microstructure, electrical, dielectric and electromagnetic shielding properties of the GS/PA composites were correlated in this manuscript. A remarkably low percolation threshold of similar to 0.11 mass per cent for room-temperature electrical conductivity was obtained in the GS/PA composites owing to the stacked architecture of GS with high aspect ratios. This unique nanostructured GS architecture not only enhanced the electrical conductivity of composites, but also dramatically increased complex permittivity by inducing strong Maxwell-Wagner- Sillars (MWS) polarization at the highly conductive GS/non-conductive PA interfaces. The EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of these composites was enhanced with increasing GS content, and the composite with 6 wt% GS loading exhibited a high EMI SE of similar to 66 dB over a frequency of 8.2-12.4 GHz, resulting from the pronounced conduction loss, dielectric relaxation, and multiscattering.