Flexible and oxidation-resistant graphene@SiC nanofiber fabrics

Carbon-based macroscopic architectures hold immense potential in flexible electronics owing to their low density and exceptional electrical conductivity. However, their susceptibility to oxidative degradation at elevated temperatures severely restricts their deployment in extreme environments. Here, we report the design of flexible graphene@silicon carbide core-shell nanofiber fabrics (G@SiC NFFs) fabricated via coaxial electrospinning and sequential thermal processing. The resulting hierarchical structure features a highly conductive graphene nanofiber core coaxially shielded by an oxidation-resistant SiC shell, seamlessly integrated via a robust heterointerface. Benefiting from their unique architecture, 20 wt% polycarbosilane-derived G@SiC NFFs achieved a frequency-averaged X-band electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness exceeding 80 dB at thicknesses of approximately 85-95 μm. A representative sample with a thickness of approximately 80 μm exhibited a shielding effectiveness of 85.5 dB and retained 76.7 dB after oxidation in air at 650 °C for 1 h. Remarkably, the fabrics exhibit robust electrothermal stability during prolonged exposure to an alcohol-lamp flame at 650 °C and thermal shock using an alcohol-torch flame at 1,100 °C, while also enabling reliable Joule heating up to 650 °C under ambient conditions. This work presents a strategy for developing lightweight and thermally resilient carbon-based electronics, paving the way for high-temperature EMI shielding and related extreme-environment applications.