Graphene paper for exceptional EMI shielding performance using large-sized graphene oxide sheets and doping strategy

Large-sized graphene sheets (LG) and doping strategy were employed to fabricate lightweight and flexible graphene paper with exceptional electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance. Compared with the smaller sized ones, LG with fewer defects and more conjugated carbon domain size as well as better alignment result in higher electrical conductivity and strength of graphene paper. The iodine doping further improves the carrier density of LG by formation of triiodide (I₃⁻) and pentaiodide (I₅⁻) through charge transfer process without deteriorating the mechanical property, thus leading to superior EMI shielding effectiveness (SE). The EMI SE of iodine doped LG film with thickness of 12.5 μm is up to ∼52.2 dB at 8.2 GHz, which is much higher than that of undoped LG with the same thickness (∼47.0 dB). More important, the improvements in EMI SE is contributed to the SE absorption, while the SE reflection is almost unchanged. The mechanisms of improved EMI shielding performance as well as mechanical property were investigated and discussed. The present study provides a facile way to fully develop graphene in lightweight and flexible EMI shielding materials and devices.