Electromagnetic wave radiation disrupts electronic devices and threatens human health. Microwave absorbing materials are essential for addressing electromagnetic pollution and military stealth applications. Advancement of electronics creates demand for absorbers with thin thickness, light weight, wide bandwidth, and strong absorption. Conventional materials suffer from poor impedance matching and limited loss mechanisms in the Ku band. Heterojunction engineering offers solutions through control of band alignment and charge distribution. The built-in electric field serves as a core mechanism for enhancing dielectric loss. However, limitations exist in understanding of formation mechanisms of built-in electric fields in multi-interface systems. This study develops a ZnNiCo-LDH/MXene composite with coral-inspired architecture. Construction of high-density Mott–Schottky interfaces occurs through electrostatic assembly of polar semiconductor units and conductive matrices. Vertical growth of flower-like layered double hydroxide (LDH) on MXene extends propagation paths of electromagnetic waves. This design creates continuous networks of built-in electric fields. Enhanced charge separation and interfacial polarization result. Performance demonstrates −49.6 dB reflection loss at 1.35 mm thickness. Effective bandwidth reaches 3.4 GHz across Ku-band frequencies. Radar cross-section simulations confirm −39.57 dB·m² signal suppression. These achievements meet requirements of advanced absorbers. The work establishes a new paradigm for manipulation of built-in electric fields through multi-interface engineering.

Currently, the development of low-reflection electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composite materials for mitigating secondary electromagnetic wave pollution has become a major research focus. However, achieving thinness, high toughness, low reflectivity, and multifunctionality in flexible EMI shielding films remains a challenge. To address this issue, this study introduces a “magnetic–electric” Janus structure EMI shielding composite film composed of MXene nanosheets, carbonized ZIF-67 (CZIF67) nanoparticles and aramid nanofibers (ANF), balancing thinness, high toughness, low reflectivity, and multifunctionality. As a result, the MXene/ANF-CZIF67/ANF-4 (MACA-4) sample exhibits high tensile strength (110.0 ± 7.0 MPa), large strain tolerance (21%), and superior toughness (14.9 ± 0.9 MJ·m⁻³), reflecting the stress dispersion effect of the three-dimensional (3D) network structure of ANF and the strengthening effect of hydrogen bonding. The sample exhibits excellent flexibility, resistance to rubbing and folding. Even with a thickness of only 80 μm, the MACA-4 film exhibits a reflection performance (SE_R) as low as 4.3 to 4.5 dB in the 8.2 to 9.6 GHz band and the SE_T in the X-band reaches 44.8 dB. In addition, the superior conductivity of the MXene/ANF layer and the localized surface plasmon resonance effect give the MACA composite films excellent electrothermal conversion capabilities. Surprisingly, the sample also exhibited excellent infrared stealth and fire alarm properties. This work offers valuable guidance on the fabrication of ultra-thin flexible EMI shielding composites and provides an important scientific basis for the design and application of efficient EMI shielding materials.

The high power density and intelligence of next-generation flexible electronic devices bring many challenges to fabricate flexible composite films with electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) property and excellent toughness via a simple method. Herein, inspired by the layered structure and biopolymer matrix networks in natural nacre, nacre-like layered Ti₃C₂T_X (MXene)/aramid nanofiber (ANF) films were fabricated through sol-gel, vacuum-assisted filtration, and hot-pressing. Three-dimensional (3D) interconnected aramid nanofibers networks between adjacent layered MXene result in an ultralong strain-to-failure of the film. Even though the functional filler MXene contents are as high as 60 wt.% and 70 wt.%, the strain-to-failure of the films could reach astonishing values of 18.34% ± 1.86% and 14.43% ± 1.26%, respectively. And the tensile strength could maintain about 85 MPa. Excitingly, with such a high filler, the film can also withstand double folding and vigorous rubbing without damage, which could better adapt to a harsh application environment. The result means that this work provides a convenient way to prepare other high functional filler composite films with excellent mechanical performance. The EMI SE values could reach 45 and 52.15 dB at 60 wt.% and 70 wt.% MXene in 8.2–12.4 GHz. Meanwhile, the films have prominent Joule heating properties, high sensitivity (< 15 s), small voltage operation (0.5 V), and high operation constancy (1300 s). Therefore, nacre-inspired MXene/ANF composite films in this work have ability to apply in many areas including communication technology, military, and aerospace.