Home > Press > Faraday fabrics? MXene-coated fabric could contain electronic interference in wearable devices
Coating standard cotton or linen fabric with a solution of MXene material can imbue it with substantial electromagnetic shielding capabilities, according to new research from Drexel University. CREDIT Drexel University |
Abstract:
Researchers at Drexel University's College of Engineering have reported that fabric coated with a conductive, two-dimensional material called MXene, is highly effective at blocking electromagnetic waves and potentially harmful radiation. The discovery is a key development for efforts to weave technological capabilities into clothing and accessories.
Materials that block electromagnetic waves had a commercial moment a handful of years ago when fears that high-tech thieves could scan or copy credit cards, passports or hack into laptops and contactless car keys had people putting them in special wallets, bags and protected pockets. While reporting suggests these fears were overblown, the demand for this sort of textile is likely to grow as more manufacturers incorporate sensing and communication technologies into fabrics.
They could also be deployed in national defense organizations to shield devices from tracing and hacking and to protect people from strong microwave radiation - the kind that might have been used against American and Canadian diplomats according to recent reports.
"Wearable devices will need shielding from the electromagnetic interference (EMI) regularly produced by mobile devices, and that shielding should be integrated as part of the garment," said Yury Gogotsi, PhD, Distinguished University and Bach professor at Drexel, who led research recently published in the materials science journal CARBON. "We have known for some time that MXene has the ability to block electromagnetic interference better than other materials, but this discovery shows that it can effectively adhere to fabrics and maintain its unique shielding capabilities."
The interference comes from residual electromagnetic fields produced by electronics devices. Users notice it as a buzz, a slowing or temporary stall in a device's function. It's a momentary inconvenience, but these moments are becoming more frequent with expanded use of mobile devices and connected technology - including wearables.
Improving the design of these devices, according to Gogotsi, entails using a shielding material to contain electromagnetic field generated by the device, as well as protecting it from interference produced by other devices. Gogotsi's team, which first produced and studied the conductive two-dimensional MXene materials nearly a decade ago, has been testing MXene coatings for this role, with promising results.
"MXenes are well-suited for use as shielding because they can be stably produced as a spray coating, an ink or a paint, so they can be applied to textiles without adding much weight or taking up more room," Gogotsi said. "We have also discovered that MXene shielding can absorb and reflect electromagnetic waves, so it not protects the wearable devices and electronic gadgets, but also protect people from strong electromagnetic field."
The researchers' most recent finding shows that dip-coating regular cotton or linen fabric in a MXene solution will turn it into an equally formidable shielding material - blocking EMI at greater than 99.9% effectiveness.
MXene flakes suspended in solution naturally adhere to the fibers in conventional cotton and linen fabrics because of their electric charge. This produces a thorough and durable coating, without the need for the pre- or post-treatment processes to produce most commercial conductive yarns and fabrics.
As part of the study, the MXene-coated fabrics were tested after being stored under normal conditions for two years and they showed only a slight drop in shielding efficiency - roughly 10%.
"This work provides a much-improved alternative to current EMI shielding textiles," said Simge Uzun, a doctoral student in Gogotsi's research group, who conducted this research as a part of her PhD program. "Not only do MXene-coated fabrics exceed the performance of commercial metal-coated fabrics, but they can be sustainably produced by coating form aqueous solution without extra processing or chemical additives."
####
For more information, please click here
Contacts:
Britt Faulstick
215-895-2617
@DrexelNews
Copyright © Drexel University
If you have a comment, please Contact us.Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Related Links |
Related News Press |
News and information
Simulating magnetization in a Heisenberg quantum spin chain April 5th, 2024
NRL charters Navy’s quantum inertial navigation path to reduce drift April 5th, 2024
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
2 Dimensional Materials
NRL discovers two-dimensional waveguides February 16th, 2024
'Sudden death' of quantum fluctuations defies current theories of superconductivity: Study challenges the conventional wisdom of superconducting quantum transitions January 12th, 2024
Flexible Electronics
Liquid metal sticks to surfaces without a binding agent June 9th, 2023
Breaking through the limits of stretchable semiconductors with molecular brakes that harness light June 9th, 2023
Wearable electronics
CityU awarded invention: Soft, ultrathin photonic material cools down wearable electronic devices June 30th, 2023
Liquid metal sticks to surfaces without a binding agent June 9th, 2023
Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy
NRL charters Navy’s quantum inertial navigation path to reduce drift April 5th, 2024
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
Chemical reactions can scramble quantum information as well as black holes April 5th, 2024
Possible Futures
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
With VECSELs towards the quantum internet Fraunhofer: IAF achieves record output power with VECSEL for quantum frequency converters April 5th, 2024
Discoveries
Chemical reactions can scramble quantum information as well as black holes April 5th, 2024
New micromaterial releases nanoparticles that selectively destroy cancer cells April 5th, 2024
Utilizing palladium for addressing contact issues of buried oxide thin film transistors April 5th, 2024
Announcements
NRL charters Navy’s quantum inertial navigation path to reduce drift April 5th, 2024
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
Simulating magnetization in a Heisenberg quantum spin chain April 5th, 2024
Discovery points path to flash-like memory for storing qubits: Rice find could hasten development of nonvolatile quantum memory April 5th, 2024
The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
Premium Products | ||
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||