Microwave absorption enhancement via graphene sheet-guided preparation of flake-like titanium carbide

Abstract

With the development of electromagnetic technology, there is an urgent need for further research on highly efficient and lightweight microwave absorption materials. Transition metal carbides have drawn tremendous attention due to their strong microwave dissipation ability and perfect stability in extreme environments. However, owing to carburization under high temperatures, synthesizing metal carbides with specified morphology is still a challenge. Here, titanium carbide (TiC) with a flake-like structure was prepared through a carbothermic reduction method guided by two-dimensional graphene sheets. The prepared flake-like TiC sheets show excellent microwave absorption properties in 1–40 GHz compared with TiC spherical particles. A minimum reflection loss (RL) of −57.0 dB at 11.8 and 3.2 GHz effective absorption bandwidth (RL < −10 dB) was achieved. Meanwhile, an optimal RL of −57 dB is also achieved at 35.8 GHz together with an even broader absorption bandwidth from 34.2 to 40 GHz (5.8 GHz in total). This excellent microwave absorption performance is attributed to the flake-like morphology, which dramatically enhances the multiple polarization loss. The method of utilizing graphene sheets as a guide to fabricate flake-like TiC not only illuminates a new strategy for fabricating transition metal carbides with specified morphology but also provides an attractive candidate for microwave absorption applications.