From Filler to Structure: Designing 3D-Printable Silicone Elastomers with Broadband Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

The abstract of this article is given as followed.Material extrusion has revolutionized the fabrication of silicone elastomers with intricate and customized structures. However, the trade-off between the ink printability and functional filler compounding impedes the advancement of 3D-printed silicone elastomers for applications such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and thermal management.

In this study, we present a novel approach to fabricating functional silicone elastomers, focusing on the design of fillers, inks and structures. Ink printability was achieved by modified nanosheets, which conferred the thixotropy and self-support capacity to inks by constructing dynamic interfacial interactions within the silicone matrix. Additionally, modified nanosheets exhibited a “lubricating” effect under high shear rates owing to their layered structure, thereby facilitating a smooth extrusion process.