Superior electromagnetic wave absorption performances of 3D porous, ultra-thin lightweight BaTiO3@rGO aerogel

Abstract

Recently, non-magnetic carbon-based composite has been regarded as one of the most promising electromagnetic wave absorbing (EMWA) materials. How to realize high EMWA performances at ultra-thin matching thickness is a hot research topic. In this study, a strategy to construct three-dimensional (3D) porous BaTiO3@reduced graphene oxide (BTO@rGO) composite aerogel was performed by successively hydrothermal process, chemical reduction and freeze-drying. The results show that defect-rich BTO nanoparticles are dispersedly immobilized into 3D conductive rGO framework by a form of Ba2+ bonding to rGO, enhancing conduction loss and dipole polarization, which contributes to enhanced EMWA performance. As a result, a minimum reflection loss of −50.49 dB with a matching thickness of only 1.46 mm, along with an effective absorption bandwidth of 3.74 GHz (13.07 GHz–16.81 GHz) with a matching thickness of only 1.39 mm, is achieved for 3D porous BTO@rGO composite aerogel. Therefore, this study paves a way for designing and preparing excellent non-magnetic EMWA materials at ultra-thin matching thickness.