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Peer-reviewedCC BYPolymers

PEG Surface Modification of ZnO Nanoparticles Improves Ductility and Absorption-Dominant EMI Shielding in PLA/PBS/Carbon Fiber Composites

  • Necla Altin1
  • Saeid Darvishi1
  • Bedriye Ucpinar2
  • Alp Oral Salman3
  • Ayse Aytac1,4
4 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kocaeli University, 41001 Kocaeli, Türkiye
  2. 2Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yeditepe University, 34755 Istanbul, Türkiye
  3. 3Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kocaeli University, 41001 Kocaeli, Türkiye
  4. 4Department of Polymer Science and Technology, Kocaeli University, 41001 Kocaeli, Türkiye
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Abstract

Composites based on biodegradable polymers are attractive replacements for metallic electromagnetic interference (EMI) shields, but their performance is limited by nanofiller agglomeration. In poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene succinate) (PLA/PBS) composites reinforced with carbon fiber (CF), unmodified ZnO nanoparticles agglomerate above 1 wt %, severely embrittling the material. In this study, ZnO nanoparticles were coated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, 8 kDa) by solution adsorption and incorporated at 0.5–2 wt % into PLA/PBS (80/20) containing 20 wt % CF. FTIR showed a +14 cm−1 shift in the ether C–O–C band (1093 → 1107 cm−1), consistent with adsorption of PEG on the ZnO surface. Fracture surfaces showed uniform sub-micron dispersion, in contrast to the dense interfacial clusters formed by unmodified ZnO at the same loading. At 1 wt % PZ, the composites combined 76.3 MPa tensile strength and 2.35% strain with 71 dB X-band shielding effectiveness, more than three times the 20 dB commercial requirement. The highest shielding, 89 dB, was reached at 1.5 wt %, with absorption contributing more than 90% of the total. Unmodified ZnO required about five times this loading to reach comparable shielding.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{altin2026surface,
  title = {{PEG Surface Modification of ZnO Nanoparticles Improves Ductility and Absorption-Dominant EMI Shielding in PLA/PBS/Carbon Fiber Composites}},
  author = {Necla Altin and Saeid Darvishi and Bedriye Ucpinar and Alp Oral Salman and Ayse Aytac},
  journal = {Polymers},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.3390/polym18192388},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666652},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - PEG Surface Modification of ZnO Nanoparticles Improves Ductility and Absorption-Dominant EMI Shielding in PLA/PBS/Carbon Fiber Composites
AU  - Necla Altin
AU  - Saeid Darvishi
AU  - Bedriye Ucpinar
AU  - Alp Oral Salman
AU  - Ayse Aytac
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
JO  - Polymers
DO  - 10.3390/polym18192388
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666652
AB  - Composites based on biodegradable polymers are attractive replacements for metallic electromagnetic interference (EMI) shields, but their performance is limited by nanofiller agglomeration. In poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene succinate) (PLA/PBS) composites reinforced with carbon fiber (CF), unmodified ZnO nanoparticles agglomerate above 1 wt %, severely embrittling the material. In this study, ZnO nanoparticles were coated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, 8 kDa) by solution adsorption and incorporated at 0.5–2 wt % into PLA/PBS (80/20) containing 20 wt % CF. FTIR showed a +14 cm−1 shift in the ether C–O–C band (1093 → 1107 cm−1), consistent with adsorption of PEG on the ZnO surface. Fracture surfaces showed uniform sub-micron dispersion, in contrast to the dense interfacial clusters formed by unmodified ZnO at the same loading. At 1 wt % PZ, the composites combined 76.3 MPa tensile strength and 2.35% strain with 71 dB X-band shielding effectiveness, more than three times the 20 dB commercial requirement. The highest shielding, 89 dB, was reached at 1.5 wt %, with absorption contributing more than 90% of the total. Unmodified ZnO required about five times this loading to reach comparable shielding.
SN  - 2073-4360
ER  -