Chemical modification of PEDOT:PSS-based materials for multifunctional electromagnetic interference shielding

Abstract

With the rapid development of communication and electronic technologies, increasingly severe electromagnetic (EM) pollution not only interferes with electronic devices and communication systems but also poses potential risks to human health. Compared with high-density, reflection-dominated metal materials and carbon-based materials that suffer from limited flexibility and intrinsic brittleness, PEDOT:PSS has emerged as a promising electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding candidate due to its high electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and processability. However, pristine PEDOT:PSS exhibits relatively simple EM loss mechanisms as well as limited mechanical strength and environmental stability, making it difficult to simultaneously achieve high shielding effectiveness together with being lightweight, transparent, and exhibiting mechanically robust performance. This review systematically summarizes the fundamental mechanisms of electromagnetic shielding and the unique advantages of PEDOT:PSS, with a focus on recent advances in enhancing the EMI shielding performance and multifunctionality of PEDOT:PSS-based materials through multiscale structural design and composite engineering. Finally, key challenges toward large-scale practical applications are discussed, including multifunctional performance coupling, accurate theoretical modeling, and green scalable manufacturing, and future research directions are proposed to promote PEDOT:PSS-based materials as an important platform for next-generation lightweight, flexible, and intelligent electromagnetic protection material systems.