Designed Construction of Stellate Nickel Hydrogel Composites for Self-Healing Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Rapid advances in communications technology and portable electronics necessitate lightweight, durable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. Traditional metallic materials, despite their excellent shielding performance, are limited by high density, susceptibility to damage, and processing difficulties. To address this, we successfully fabricated a self-healing magnetic composite hydrogel with superior EMI shielding performance. This was achieved by incorporating Ni stellate microspheres (SMS) into a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel cross-linked with sodium tetraborate. A dense network of reversible hydrogen bonds and dynamic borate ester bonds within the PVA matrix imparted rapid ambient-temperature self-healing (92% efficiency) without external intervention. With 7 wt % Ni SMS loading, the composite hydrogel achieved a total shielding effectiveness (SE_T) of 61.5 dB in the X-band (8.2-12.4 GHz), retaining 56.3 dB posthealing. Remarkably, its SE_T exceeded 120 dB in the Ka-band (26.5-40 GHz). The Ni SMS synergistically enhanced shielding by optimizing conductive networks, interfacial polarization, and magnetic loss mechanisms. This work provides a new strategy for designing smart EMI shielding materials with significant potential for flexible electronics, aerospace, and wearable devices.