Recent advances in perovskite oxide-based materials for electromagnetic interference shielding and microwave absorption

With the rapidly evolving telecommunications sector, including 5G/6G and the Internet of Things (IoT), there has been a growing push towards developing advanced materials for Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding. Traditionally, highly conductive metallic shields have dominated the field. However, their susceptibility to high-temperature oxidation, structural degradation, and high-reflection-induced secondary EMI pollution limits their use in next-generation applications. Recently, perovskite oxide-based materials, characterized by their exceptional structural robustness, thermal stability, and tunable electromagnetic properties, have emerged as promising alternatives. This review provides an overview of recent advancements in perovskite oxide-based shielding materials, focusing on the intrinsic structure-property relationships governing their EM-wave attenuation performance. The fundamental mechanisms of electromagnetic attenuation – including conduction pathways, interfacial polarization, and natural resonance – have been covered, along with a detailed discussion of the effects of advanced synthesis routes on the material’s microstructural evolution. The effects of aliovalent doping, defect engineering, and the formation of synergistic composites with conductive fillers (carbon nanomaterials, MXenes, and polymers) on modulating the dielectric and magnetic losses to achieve absorption-dominated shielding have been thoroughly discussed. A few critical gaps have been identified, particularly in sustainability and rapid material identification, and probable pathways have been proposed for designing multifunctional shields.