Advanced MXene/shear stiffening composite-based sensor with high-performance electromagnetic interference shielding and anti-impacting Bi-protection properties for smart wearable device

[Display omitted] •A versatile sensor is developed by assembling MXene and shear stiffening elastomer.•The sensor shows excellent EMI shielding and anti-impact bi-protection properties.•The wearable sensor shows application in human body monitoring and human protection.•The wearable sensor shows promising application in wireless transmission system.•The wearable sensor shows promising application in human–machine interaction field. Smart wearable devices with mechanical anti-impact property and electromagnetic interference shielding performance are highly required for providing comprehensive and effective protection for human beings under special conditions. Herein, a multifunctional SSE/MXene-NWF/SSE (SMS) sandwich composite with multiple sensing properties, electromagnetic interference shielding performance and anti-impacting ability was developed. By decorating conductive MXene onto the middle non-woven fabric (NWF), the as-fabricated SMS composite protects human from the harmful electromagnetic radiation with the shielding effectiveness up to 58 dB. The shear stiffening elastomer (SSE) whose storage modulus increases with the shear frequency displays typical shear stiffening effect, and thus confers SMS sandwich composite outstanding anti-impacting and safe-guarding properties which can dissipate nearly 97% impact energy. In addition, this SMS sandwich composite also meets the development needs of smart wearable devices, which can be comfortably attached onto human parts to monitor different human motions. Moreover, the intelligent alarm system and mechanical manipulator based on SMS sensor shows the promising application in wireless transmission and human–machine interaction. Finally, the designed SMS-based sensor array further displays its multi-perceptive characteristic under various stimuli as well as double-safeguarding abilities under impact and electromagnetic radiation. This work opens a new perspective for the development of multifunctional composite as smart wearable devices with anti-impacting and electromagnetic interference shielding properties for the comprehensive safeguarding of human beings.