High electromagnetic shielding of multi-wall carbon nanotube composites using ionic liquid dispersant

A 2.5 Gbps optical transceiver module fabricated by ionic liquid (IL)-dispersed multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites is demonstrated. In comparison with shielding effectiveness (SE) measurements without dispersion, IL-dispersed MWCNT composites exhibited high SE of 40∼46 dB at lower weight percentage of MWCNTs. Ionic charge force and alkyl groups interaction in the IL-MWCNT hybrid solution are the dominant mechanisms to determine a well-dispersed MWCNT composite. To develop a cost effective material for use in packaging an optical transceiver module, a fine dispersion of MWCNTs in the polymer matrices and association with the dispersion mechanism is essential.