Issue 29, 2025

Ultrathin MXene conductive films with percolation-driven electron transport and thickness-dependent microwave absorption/shielding dual functionality

Abstract

The microwave interaction of ultrathin Ti3C2Tx MXene films is governed by their nanosheet network-modulated conductivity. By integrating a transfer matrix model with the Drude model, this study reveals the dielectric response mechanisms of MXene films under microwave radiation, driven by nanosheet coverage (c) and thickness (t). For monolayer films, coverage-dependent conductivity transitions delineate two distinct regimes: (i) a discontinuous percolation regime (c < 80%) dominated by intra-flake electron transport (|εi/εr| < 1), resulting in high microwave transparency, and (ii) a metallic-like conduction regime (c > 80%) where synergistic intra-/inter-flake hopping (|εi/εr| > 1) enhances interfacial polarization and ohmic loss, enabling 27% maximum microwave absorption at a high sheet conductivity of ∼0.001 S (c = 93%). For multilayer continuous films, thickness dictates dual transport dynamics: sub-6.6 nm films exhibit surface/interface scattering-limited bulk conductivity (σ ∼ 3000 S cm−1, τ > 6 ps), while thicker films (t > 6.6 nm) transition to bulk-like metallic conduction (σ ∼ 13 000 S cm−1, τ < 6 ps), achieving concurrent 48% microwave absorption at 6.6 nm and 19 dB shielding at 24 nm. The percolation-governed conductivity scaling and thickness-modulated electron transport establish design principles for optimizing MXene-based ultrathin electromagnetic functional materials in microwave absorption, shielding, and flexible sensing applications, bridging nanoscale structural engineering with macroscopic functionality.

Graphical abstract: Ultrathin MXene conductive films with percolation-driven electron transport and thickness-dependent microwave absorption/shielding dual functionality

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Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
13 May 2025
Accepted
29 Jun 2025
First published
01 Jul 2025

Nanoscale, 2025,17, 17040-17056

Ultrathin MXene conductive films with percolation-driven electron transport and thickness-dependent microwave absorption/shielding dual functionality

D. Wen, X. Zhou, Q. Fan, C. Cui, K. Fang, L. Ding, X. Ye, S. Zheng, Z. Jiang, Y. Zhou, D. Zhao and G. Wang, Nanoscale, 2025, 17, 17040 DOI: 10.1039/D5NR01970B

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