In recent decades, due to the rapid development and application of wireless communication, flexible electronics, and smart devices, electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radiation pollution have been intensified, creating an urgent demand for efficient EMI shielding materials. Carbon nanostructures such as graphene and carbon nanotubes are considered promising candidates due to their excellent properties, such as high electrical conductivity, low density, large specific surface area, and flexibility. This work reports our recent results in the design and testing of polymer nanocomposites with irradiated hybrid carbon nanostructure (graphene/multi-walled carbon nanotubes) used as EMI shielding materials. Five representative composites with varying filler loadings (AH of 15% and AM1 of 20 wt%), thicknesses (0.208–0.48 mm), and e-beam irradiation doses (from 50 to 400 kGy) were systematically characterized using SEM, FTIR, TGA/DSC, and vector network analyzer (VNA) measurements in the S-band (2.65–3.90 GHz). The effects of different e-beam irradiation doses and hybrid carbon contents on conductive network construction, interface engineering, and porous or layered structures on EMI shielding performance are discussed. Experimental results show that all studied composites exhibited strong absorption-dominant behavior (SE_A), while the multiple reflection component (SE_M) was found to be negligible. Both filler loading and sample thickness significantly enhanced shielding performance, with a pronounced synergistic interaction observed between these parameters. A quadratic Response Surface Methodology (RSM) model was developed to correlate the total shielding effectiveness (SE_T) with thickness and filler content, yielding high predictive accuracy (R² > 0.96). The model enables efficient optimization of composite design for targeted shielding levels.

Improving the sustainability of polymer composites is a pressing priority, particularly in reducing reliance on fossil-derived components and minimizing environmental impact during synthesis. Lignin, an abundant and renewable natural polymer, offers significant potential as a bio-based additive due to its aromatic structure and intrinsic functionality. Conventional methods for incorporating lignin into polymer matrices often rely on non-sustainable, solvent-based routes, leading to poor dispersion and aggregate formation due to lignin’s incompatibility with polymers. This study presents a more sustainable approach using waterborne, in-situ semicontinuous miniemulsion polymerization to integrate lignin (0.5–1 wt%) into (meth)acrylic matrices. The resulting composite films, formed via water evaporation, exhibited enhanced UV and visible light absorption, improved mechanical strength, particularly at 1 wt% lignin and increased thermal stability even at low loadings. Despite lignin’s hydrophilicity, the composites demonstrated reduced water permeability. UV degradation studies showed that lignin’s chromophoric groups generate free radicals under UV exposure, triggering controlled photodegradation of both lignin and polymer phases. This controlled breakdown combined with the composite’s enhanced structural integrity highlights lignin’s dual function: reinforcing the material under standard conditions while enabling degradation under specific environmental stimuli.

The present research work compares poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)–based nanocomposites prepared with various modified graphene nanoparticles to develop lightweight polymer‐based nanocomposites with enhanced electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding efficiency. Metal‐decorated graphene (G/Ag) nanostructures were compared with electron‐beam (e‐beam)–irradiated hybrid carbon nanostructures comprising graphene and multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (G/MWCNTs) at an irradiation dose of 50 kGy. Three representative composite systems with filler loadings ranging from 15 to 20 wt% and sample thicknesses between 0.208 and 0.48 mm were systematically evaluated across the S‐band (2.65–3.90 GHz) using SEM, FTIR, TGA/DSC, electrical conductivity, and vector network analyzer (VNA) measurements. The effects of silver decoration versus high‐energy e‐beam irradiation on conductive network formation, interface engineering, and composite topology on EMI shielding performance are comprehensively discussed. All evaluated composite films exhibited a strongly absorption‐dominant EMI shielding mechanism. VNA measurements confirmed that absorption (SE _A ) accounted for 82%–87% of the total shielding effectiveness (SE _T ), while multiple reflections (SE _M ) were negligible. The e‐beam–irradiated hybrid nanocomposites demonstrated superior performance compared to the metal‐decorated PMMA/G/Ag sample (which achieved only ∼ 5 dB attenuation). Specifically, the irradiated PMMA/AH50 composite ( d = 0.28 mm, 15 wt%) reached an average SE _T of 11.2 dB, while the PMMA/AM1 composite (20 wt% filler, d = 0.48 mm, 50 kGy) achieved the highest shielding effectiveness, reaching peak values of 11–13 dB (average SE _T = 10.13 dB) across the S‐band, compared to < 1 dB for neat PMMA. Electrical conductivity measurements showed a corresponding increase from 2.3 × 10 ⁻¹³ S/m (neat PMMA) to 3.41 × 10 ⁻¹ S/m for PMMA/AM1. The results confirm that increasing filler loading and sample thickness expands the interaction volume and establishes denser 3D conductive networks, proving the viability of irradiated G/MWCNT–PMMA nanocomposites for lightweight EMI shielding in portable electronics, smart building sensors, and biomedical devices.

The present research work compares graphene/PMMA-based nanocomposites prepared with various modified graphene nanoparticles to develop polymer-based nanocomposites with enhanced electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding efficiency. A metal-decorated graphene (G/Ag) nanostructure was compared with an irradiated hybrid carbon nanostructure comprising graphene and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (G/CNTs). Three representative composites with varying filler loadings (15–20 wt%), thicknesses (0.208–0.48 mm), and an e-beam irradiation dose of 50 kGy were systematically characterized using SEM, FTIR, TGA/DSC, and vector network analyzer (VNA) measurements in the S-band (2.65–3.90 GHz). The effects of these different modifications (metal decoration or e-beam irradiation) on conductive network construction, interface engineering, and the resulting porous or layered structures on EMI shielding performance are discussed. All tested composites exhibited a strongly absorption-dominant behavior. Better EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) results were obtained for the irradiated PMMA/АМ1 (50 kGy) sample (d = 0.48 mm) and the PMMA/AH50 sample (d = 0.28 mm), reaching up to 11–13 dB compared to the metal-decorated PMMA/G/Ag nanocomposite. The obtained results confirmed that by increasing the sample thickness and the G/CNT hybrid content, the EMI shielding performance was significantly enhanced due to a greater absorption volume and denser conductive networks. This demonstrates the potential of irradiated graphene/CNT–PMMA nanocomposites as lightweight EMI shielding materials for various electronic and biomedical devices.

In recent decades, due to the rapid development and application of wireless communication, flexible electronics, and smart devices, electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radiation pollution have been intensified, creating an urgent demand for efficient EMI shielding materials. Carbon nanostructures such as graphene and carbon nanotubes are considered promising candidates due to their excellent properties, such as high electrical conductivity, low density, large specific surface area, and flexibility. This work reports our recent results in the design and testing of polymer nanocomposites with irradiated hybrid carbon nanostructure (graphene/multi-walled carbon nanotubes) used as EMI shielding materials. Five representative composites with varying filler loadings (AH of 15% and AM1 of 20 wt%), thicknesses (0.208–0.48 mm), and e-beam irradiation doses (from 50 to 400 kGy) were systematically characterized using SEM, FTIR, TGA/DSC, and vector network analyzer (VNA) measurements in the S-band (2.65–3.90 GHz). The effects of different e-beam irradiation doses and hybrid carbon content on conductive network construction, interface engineering, and porous or layered structures on EMI shielding performance are discussed. Experimental results show that all studied composites exhibited strong absorption-dominant behavior (SEA), while the multiple reflection component (SEM) was found to be negligible. Both filler loading and sample thickness significantly enhanced shielding performance, with a pronounced synergistic interaction observed between these parameters. A quadratic Response Surface Methodology (RSM) model was developed to correlate SET with thickness and filler content, yielding high predictive accuracy (R2 > 0.99). The model enables efficient optimization of composite design for targeted shielding levels.