Investigating the electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency of cotton lace abaca fabrics incorporated with hydrothermally synthesized carbon nanodots

• Main Authors: Fojas, Amanda Lee P., Luzara, Heavenleigh Faye C., Tianzon, Maeghan Audrey R., Bantang, Jose Paolo O., Lopez, Toni Beth Guatato, Que, Christopher T., Santos, Gil Nonato C.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2024
• Subjects: Electromagnetic interference; Abaca (Fiber); Nanoparticles; Chemistry; Physics
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/13767
• Institution: De La Salle University

This research aimed to explore and analyze the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI-SE) of cotton lace abaca fabrics embedded with carbon nanodots (CNDs) from chitosan. The CNDs were synthesized via a hydrothermal carbonization process, employing 1% and 2% w/v chitosan solutions. This synthesis was carried out at 180◦C temperature over a period of eight hours. The morphology and elemental composition of the CNDs were investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Subsequently, a total of six cotton lace abaca fabric samples, measuring 19 cm by 14.5 cm each, were treated with the synthesized CNDs. The CND-modified abaca fabrics were achieved through a dip-coating method, where three samples were treated with CNDs from the 1% chitosan batch (Batch 1) and the remaining three with CNDs from the 2% batch (Batch 2). These modified fabrics were then assessed using SEM and EMI shielding analysis to evaluate their structural and functional properties. The results indicated that both batches of modified abaca fabrics were capable of shielding electromagnetic interference across a frequency range of 0.1 MHz to 470 MHz. Notably, fabrics treated with Batch 2 CNDs displayed superior shielding effectiveness. However, despite these promising results, the modified abaca fabrics are limited to dry environment applications due to their inherent hydrophilicity property.