World’s Lightest Shielding Material

(EMPA, July 02, 2020)

Electric motors and electronic devices generate electromagnetic fields that sometimes have to be shielded in order not to affect neighboring components or the transmission of signals. However, the thin metal sheets or metallized foils that are conventionally used for this purpose are often too heavy or too rigid for many applications. To address this shortcoming, Empa researchers recently succeeded in applying very light aerogels, based on cellulose nanofibers, to microelectronics, which can effectively shield electromagnetic radiation over a wide frequency range. Cellulose fibers are obtained from wood, and due to their chemical structure, enable a wide range of chemical modifications, which are maintained even after being subjected to strong mechanical stress. Combined with two-dimensional nanoplates of titanium carbide, the material has proven to be the lightest electromagnetic shield in the world.