Recent progress and perspective in additive manufacturing of EMI shielding functional polymer nanocomposites

Because of rapid progress in the electronics industry,the market has faced a huge demand for novel materials in the field of electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding.Conductive functional polymer composites have demonstrated great potential to fulfill this requirement.To synthesize the polymeric composites,functional conductive nanoadditives such as graphene,carbon nanotubes,and MXene are commonly added to polymeric matrices,and the conductive polymer nanocomposites exhibit promising electrical conductivity as well as EMI shielding performance.Additive manufacturing(AM),also referred to as threedimensional(3D)printing,has been increasingly employed to fabricate complicated geometry components in the medical,aerospace,and automotive industries.AM has also been used to fabricate advanced EMI shielding materials for sensors,supercapacitors,energy storage devices,and flexible electronics.This review aims at introducing the different 3D printing methods applied for the fabrication of EMI shielding polymer nanocomposites.The impact of the AM process on the functionality of the samples is also reviewed.Additionally,the influence of the nanofiller type and amount on the microstructure and performance of the fabricated nanocomposites is discussed.Finally,the prospects and recommended works for future study are outlined.

Mechanically driven assembly of biomimetic 2D-material microtextures with bioinspired multifunctionality

Nature provides a wealth of bio-inspiration for advanced material research.Assembling various nanomaterials into biomimetic microtextures with bioinspired functionalities has spurred increasing research interests and facilitated technological advances in various applications.In recent years,two-dimensional materials(2DMs)have emerged as important building block units in the biomimicry field due to their distinct chemical,physical,electrical,electrochemical,and catalytic properties.In this review article,various mechanically driven assembly approaches are summarized to fabricate various genealogies of biomimetic 2DM microtextures with bio-inspired multifunctionality.First,sequential deformation strategies are discussed to programmably construct higher dimensional 2DM microtextures,ranging from wrinkles/crumples(one-time deformation)to multiscale hierarchies(multiple deformations).Next,the current progress using higher dimensional 2DM microtextures to imitate different biological structures and/or induce bio-inspired multifunctionality is systematically summarized.Four showcases of bio-inspiration and biomimicry using different 2DM nanosheets are highlighted:(1)wrinkle patterns of an earthworm that spur the design of strain sensors with programmable working ranges and sensitivities,(2)wrinkle appearance of a Shar-Pei dog that motivates the fabrication of stretchable energy storage devices,(3)hierarchical scale textures of a desert lizard that inspire cation-induced gelation platforms for 2DM aerogels,and(4)wrinkle skin of an elephant that influences the development of 2DM protective skin for soft robots.Finally,challenges and future opportunities of adopting 2DM nanosheets to assemble biomimetic microstructures with synergistic functionalities are discussed.