Bioinspired MXene/Polyurethane Plastic Films with Exceptional Flexibility and Toughness for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

•A nacre-like MXene/PU plastic film with EMI shielding function was fabricated.•The hybrid film exhibits exceptional flexibility and toughness of 21.0 MJ m−3 through an internal plasticization process.•High electrical conductivity (126 S cm−1) and excellent specific EMI shielding efficiency (11312 dB cm2 g−1) are obtained at an ultra-small thickness (12.5 μm). Conductive materials with good mechanical performance are desired for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. MXene (Ti3C2Tx), as a new 2D material, shows great potential due to its outstanding conductivity. The rigid nature and hydrophilic surface of MXene indicate its similarity to minerals, leading to the possibility of forming a conductive artificial nacre shell. Herein, highly flexible and tough MXene nanosheet/polyurethane composite films with a nacre-like structure are reported. The hydrogen bonding between MXene nanosheets and polyurethane chains endows an internal plasticization process and results in exceptional flexibility and toughness of 21.0 MJ m−3. Meanwhile, the MXene nanosheet/polyurethane composite film exhibits high electrical conductivity (126 S cm−1) and excellent specific EMI shielding efficiency (11312 dB cm2 g−1) at an ultra-small thickness (12.5 μm) and high polymer content (45.6 wt%). The nacre-inspired conductive composite film in this work offers a new strategy for the design and preparation of tough and flexible conductive materials. [Display omitted]