In the era of rapid advancements in flexible electronics and sustainable water treatment, the demand for multifunctional materials that combine electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and efficient solar-driven evaporation has never been higher. Traditional hydrogels, however, struggle with controllable functional network design—often suffering from nanofiller agglomeration, poor structural stability, or limited performance tunability. Now, a team of researchers from Beijing University of Chemical Technology has developed a groundbreaking solution: surfactant-free Pickering emulsion-derived MXene/silk fibroin (SF) hydrogels with programmable hierarchical structures. Published in Nano-Micro Letters , this technology delivers exceptional EMI shielding and solar evaporation performance, opening new avenues for flexible electronics and water sustainability.
Why These Hydrogels Stand Out
The core innovation lies in leveraging the synergistic effects of amphiphilic silk fibroin and MXene nanosheets to create stable Pickering emulsions—eliminating surfactants while enabling precise control over hydrogel microstructures. This design addresses key limitations of conventional hydrogels and unlocks dual functionality:
Key Design, Fabrication, and Performance Details
1. Pickering Emulsion Mechanism: SF-MXene Synergy
The stability of the surfactant-free emulsion relies on the complementary roles of SF and MXene:
2. Fabrication Process: From Emulsion to Multifunctional Hydrogel
The scalable fabrication process involves three key steps:
3. Dual Functional Performance
EMI Shielding: Conductive Networks + Water Polarization
Solar Evaporation: Hierarchical Pores + Low Enthalpy
Future Outlook & Application Potential
This Pickering emulsion strategy offers a general platform for designing multifunctional hydrogels—extensible to other polymers (e.g., gelatin, chitosan) and nanofillers (e.g., graphene, BNNS). Key future directions include:
By bridging materials science and sustainability, these MXene/SF hydrogels demonstrate how programmable structures can unlock dual functionality—addressing critical needs in electronics and water treatment. Stay tuned for further innovations from this team as they advance toward commercialization!
Nano-Micro Letters
Experimental study
Pickering Emulsion‑Driven MXene/Silk Fibroin Hydrogels with Programmable Functional Networks for EMI Shielding and Solar Evaporation
24-Jun-2025