Silicate glass/Ni-NiO double shell composite hollow microspheres: Fast combustion synthesis and electromagnetic properties

Abstract

Silicate glass/Ni-NiO double shell composite hollow microspheres (DSCHMs) were prepared in large scale though a fast sol combustion route. Single shell silicate glass hollow microspheres (SGHMs) were used as low density support of the Ni-NiO composite shell, which also serve as the robust first shell of the DSCHMs. Ni-NiO composite shells were assembled on the surface of the SGHMs through fast combustion of a precursor mixture containing nickel ions, organic fuels in air. The thickness of the Ni-NiO composite shell can be tuned simply by controlling the repeating times of the Ni-NiO shell assembly. The electromagnetic property and microwave absorption performance of the as-obtained DSCHMs were investigated, which exhibit strong dependence on the thickness of the Ni-NiO composite shell. This work provides a new strategy for the high efficient fabrication of composite particles through fast assembly of functional shells with tailored composition, structure and electromagnetic properties on large scale.