Preparation of graphite-like carbon nitride/polythiophene nanocomposite and investigation of its optical and microwave absorbing characteristics

Abstract

Currently, the 2D nanostructures have demonstrated abundant microwave absorbing features. In this research, graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets were fabricated, and then it was composited by polythiophene (PTh) using a novel complementary method to promote its microwave attenuation by ascending polarizability and impedance matching of the designed nanocomposite. All of the applied analyses attested that the g-C3N4, g-C3N4/PTh, and PTh structures have been synthesized. The optical performance revealed that the inserting PTh diminishes the energy band gap, which augments polarization and conductive loss compromising in efficient bandwidth. Polystyrene (PS) was used to fabricate microwave absorbers as a practical matrix. Interestingly, the g-C3N4/PTh (30%)/PS nanocomposite brought a maximum reflection loss (RL) of 57.89 dB at 11.00 GHz while its efficient bandwidth (RL < −20 dB) was 4.61 GHz. The achieved results manifest that by loading the PTh impedance matching, attenuation constant, conductive loss, and dielectric features are tuned, originated from the conductive and dielectric properties of the PTh and established interfacial interactions. More significantly, the g-C3N4/PTh (70%)/PS nanocomposite demonstrated a negative imaginary part of permeability, which is emerged from the produced secondary magnetic fields due to the developed conductive networks.