PS/PANI/MoS₂ Hybrid Polymer Composites with High Dielectric Behavior and Electrical Conductivity for EMI Shielding Effectiveness

Liquid exfoliated molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanosheets and polyaniline (PANI) nanoparticles are dispersed in polystyrene (PS) matrix to fabricate hybrid polymer composites with high dielectric and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding behavior. A phase-separated morphology is formed when PANI and MoS₂ are incorporated into polystyrene (PS) matrix. An increasing concentration of MoS₂ nanoparticles inside PS/PANI (5 wt %) polymer blend forms an interconnected network, resulting in high electrical conductivity and dielectric behavior, making them a suitable candidate for EMI shielding application. An increment in dielectric constant and loss, up to four and five orders of magnitude, respectively, is recorded at a maximum concentration of 1 wt % of MoS₂ in PS/PANI-5 polymer blend at 100 Hz. The enhanced dielectric characteristics for PS/PANI/MoS₂ composites are then theoretically evaluated for the estimation of EMI shielding effectiveness in the frequency range of 100 Hz to 5 MHz. The maximum dielectric constant and loss achieved for PS/PANI-5 wt %/MoS₂-1 wt % are responsible for estimated shielding effectiveness of around 92 dB at 100 Hz. The increase in dielectric behavior and shielding effectiveness is probably due to the increased number of charged dipoles accumulated at the insulator-conductor interface.