MXene-based kirigami designs: showcasing reconfigurable frequency selectivity in microwave regime

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 7793 - 11
• Main Authors: Niksan, Omid, Bi, Lingyi, Gogotsi, Yury, Zarifi, Mohammad H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 06-09-2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/166/987; 639/925/930/1032; Acetic acid; Antennas; Automation; Axial stress; Coatings; Deformation effects; Design; Electrical conductivity; Electrical resistivity; Fabrication; Frequency dependence; Frequency ranges; Graphene; Humanities and Social Sciences; Industrial robots; Low cost; Manufacturing; Microwave frequencies; multidisciplinary; MXenes; Nanomaterials; Polymers; Prototypes; Radio frequency; Reflectance; Resonant frequencies; Resonators; Robotics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Signal processing; Spectral sensitivity; Substrates; Thin films
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51853-1

Today’s wireless environments, soft robotics, and space applications demand delicate design of devices with tunable performances and simple fabrication processes. Here we show strain-based adjustability of RF/microwave performance by applying frequency-selective patterns of conductive Ti
3
C
2
T
x
MXene coatings on low-cost acetate substrates under ambient conditions. The tailored performances were achieved by applying frequency-selective patterns of thin Ti
3
C
2
T
x
MXene coatings with high electrical conductivity as a replacement to metal on low-cost flexible acetate substrates under ambient conditions. Under quasi-axial stress, the Kirigami design enables displacements of individual resonant cells, changing the overall electromagnetic performance of a surface (i.e., array) within a simulated wireless channel. Two flexible Kirigami-inspired prototypes were implemented and tested within the S, C, and X (2-4 GHz, 4-8 GHz, and 8-12 GHz) microwave frequency bands. The resonant surface, having ~1/4 of the size of a standard A4 paper, was able to steer a beam of scattered waves from each resonator by ~25°. Under a strain of 22%, the resonant frequency of the wired co-planar resonator was shifted by 400 MHz, while the reflection coefficient changed by 158%. Deforming the geometry impacted the spectral response of the components across three arbitrary frequencies in the 4-10 GHz frequency range. With this proof of concept, we anticipate implementing thin films of MXenes on technologically relevant substrates, achieving multi-functionality through cost-effective and straightforward manufacturing.
Modern communication applications may demand devices with tunable performances and simple fabrications. Here, we show strain dependent, adjustable RF/microwave performance by applying patterns of conductive Ti3C2Tx MXene coatings on low-cost acetate substrates in a straightforward coating process.