Nanocellulose-mediated MXene composites have attracted widespread attention in the fields of sustainable energy, wearable sensors, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. However, the effects of different nanocelluloses on the multifunctional properties of nanocellulose/Ti3C2Tx composites still need further exploration. Herein, we use three types of nanocelluloses, including bacterial cellulose (BC), cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yloxy (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNs), as intercalation to link Ti3C2Tx nanosheets via a self-assembly process, improving the dispersibility, film-forming ability, mechanical properties, and multifunctional performances of nanocelluloses/Ti3C2Tx hybrids through electrostatic forces and hydrogen bonding. The optimized ultrathin (∼40 μm) TOCN/Ti3C2Tx film integrates excellent tensile strength (∼98.89 MPa), long-term stability (during deformation and water erosion), favorable photoelectric response (photosensitivity up to 2620%), and temperature response (reaching 163 °C in only 12 s). Laser-cutting patterned TOCN/Ti3C2Tx films are assembled into flexible multifunctional electronics, exhibiting splendid photoresponse performances and tunable electromagnetic energy shielding capability (>96.4%) related to the variation of water content at the film-gel electrolyte interface. Multifunctional patterned devices based on TOCN/Ti3C2Tx composite films provide a novel pathway to rationally design wearable EMI devices with photoelectric response and photothermal conversion.
Keywords: Ti3C2Tx MXene; electromagnetic interference shielding; film; nanocellulose; photoresponse.