Structural, Optical, and Electrical Characteristics of Synthesized Novel and Flexible <scp>PCCCe</scp> Polymer Nanocomposites for <scp>EMI</scp> Shielding Applications

ABSTRACT This article reports, for the first time, the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of a flexible PCCCe polymer nanocomposite, which was manufactured using a mini twin‐screw extrusion process. In the manufacturing of PCCCe polymer nanocomposites, the binary polymer blends PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) and CS (chitosan) have been used as a host matrix, while CeO 2 nanoparticles (synthesized via the sol–gel method) and CB (carbon black) have been used in the form of nanofillers. The incorporation of nanofillers in the matrix was verified through XRD analysis, causing the expansion in the crystallite size ranging from 18 to 28 nm along with the existing micro‐strain. The increased amount of nanofillers has shown an increase in the absorbance with blue shift and enhancement in the refractive index (from 2.09 to 2.16), with reduction in the optical band gap (from 4.79 to 4.03 eV) and lowering of the Urbach energy (from 1.36 to 0.33 eV). Blue emission has been observed and confirmed through the CIE plot studied in PL spectra. Thus, it demonstrates a unique combination of increased refractive index, reduced optical band gap, and lowered Urbach energy, along with blue‐shifted absorbance and blue emission confirmed via PL spectra, offering innovative control over optical properties for advanced multifunctional applications. Moreover, Raman spectroscopy reveals the presence of D, G, and D+G band peaks at 1361, 1560, and 2910 cm −1 due to the disordered crystal structure of carbon atoms. In addition to the structural and optical characterizations, the composites were also studied through the dielectric and shielding effect analysis in the X‐band frequency range that lies in the 5G spectrum. High dielectric constant and dielectric loss are claimed along with a high total shielding effectiveness parameter in the synthesized polymer nanocomposites. The flexible PCCCe polymer nanocomposites exhibit remarkable total shielding effectiveness elevated to 90 dB at 12 GHz, surpassing the performance of the other samples investigated in the study. This breakthrough in the PCCCe nanocomposite design highlights its potential as a next‐generation material for superior electromagnetic wave absorption and advanced EMI shielding applications.