Constructing efficient electromagnetic interference shielding and Joule heating wood by crosslinking MXene nanosheets with a regenerated cellulose network

Abstract MXenes have emerged as highly promising candidates for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. However, achieving strong interfacial adhesion of MXene nanosheets within substrate materials without applying adhesives remains challenging. To address the demand for functional coatings with integrated wear resistance, we fabricated a regenerated wood-MXene (RW-M) by creating a dense, three-dimensional (3D) nanocellulose network from partially dissolved wood surface cellulose to anchor MXene nanosheets. The ingenious structural design strategy via in-situ dissolved and regenerated of delignified wood surface cellulose constructs a cross-linked nanocellulose network, providing rich hydrogen binding sites for functional MXene nanosheets. After densification, the MXene nanosheets bond tightly with the delignified wood surface, significantly enhancing the mechanical stability. The composite achieves an exceptional EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of 45 dB in the X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz) at a thin thickness of 0.35 mm, and maintains a stable SE of 39–41 dB after 1000 abrasion cycles, which is attributed to the robust interfacial bonding and mechanical interlocking. Moreover, the RW-M also exhibits outstanding Joule heating performance, reaching 115 °C with 5 V of applied voltage. This work provides a green strategy for designing EMI shielding materials, showing great potential for applications in decoration, building, and advanced thermal management systems.