As 5G base-stations mushroom and drones patrol from the stratosphere, electromagnetic pollution, infrared surveillance, and oil-spill disasters increasingly arrive in the same breath. In a sweeping review published in Nano-Micro Letters , a Beijing University of Chemical Technology team led by Professors Hao-Bin Zhang and Zhong-Zhen Yu reveals an asymmetric MXene-graphene bilayer aerogel that neutralizes all four threats simultaneously. Printed in minutes from a single emulsion ink, the 12 mg cm -3 foam weighs less than a postage stamp yet delivers >100 dB EMI shielding, 115 °C solar-thermal heating, dynamic IR camouflage, 0.032 W m -1 K -1 thermal insulation, and 10× its own weight in oil absorption—all without external power beyond sunlight or a 1–3.5 V pulse.
Inside the Bilayer Design: From Reflection to Re-Absorption
Traditional metal foils reflect 90 % of incident waves, creating secondary pollution. The new design flips the paradigm:
Finite-element simulations show electric fields trapped inside the spherical pores rather than the aerogel surface, confirming absorption dominance.
Five Missions, One Material
Ink to Infinity—Scalable, Sculptable, Sustainable
The magic starts with a Pickering emulsion ink : MXene and graphene oxide sheets self-assemble with octadecyl amine at the oil-water interface, forming nano-surfactants that jam droplets into a printable gel. Rheology is tuned by stirring speed and phase ratio, enabling direct-ink-writing into lattices, petals, or meter-scale sheets on standard 3-D printers. After freeze-drying, the closed-cell spherical pores survive folding, flexing, and even 3 h of ultrasonic agitation in water.
The entire process uses commodity MXene and GO, no toxic solvents, and is compatible with roll-to-roll molding—clearing the path for kilogram-scale production.
Roadmap to the All-Weather, All-Threat Garment
Next steps embed the aerogel into helmet liners for soldiers, drone skins for logistics, or emergency blankets for disaster zones. Early prototypes already cloak a soldier’s head from IR drones while powering a pocket heater from sunlight alone. One material, five functions, zero compromise—the future of multifunctional protection is ready to print on demand.
Nano-Micro Letters
Experimental study
Multifunctional Asymmetric Bilayer Aerogels for Highly Efficient Electromagnetic Interference Shielding with Ultrahigh Electromagnetic Wave Absorption
12-Jun-2025