Synthesis of SiC nanowires wrapped in trimetallic layered double hydroxide nanosheets with core-shell structure via self-assembly growth approach for effective electromagnetic wave absorption

Abstract

The optimization of microstructure and composition is an important strategy to obtain high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption (EMA) materials. In this study, several fungus-like two-dimensional (2D) trimetallic layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets have been synthesized with tunable metallic ions of Ni2+, Co2+, and Zn2+ by using a compositional genetic strategy from MOF. Thereafter, a series of core-shell composites have been fabricated at room temperature by the self-assembly growth approach, constructed from 2D trimetallic LDH nanosheets wrapped on 1D SiC nanowires. The composition and structure of the samples can be preserved by varying the Co and Zn ratios. The EMA materials were prepared by performing a thermal treatment approach in the air atmosphere based on the synthesized composites described above. A reasonable integration of dielectric and magnetic components and an opportune core-shell structure provide better impedance matching, multiple reflections and scattering, polarization loss, enhancing conduction loss, and magnetic loss. The results show that NiCo2Zn1-LC@SiC exhibits superior EMA performance with the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −44.73 dB at a thickness of 1.86 mm and the maximum effective absorption band (EABmax) of 6.12 GHz at 2.12 mm. This work proves the influence of the structure and composition on absorbers and provides ideas for the design and development of high-performance EMA materials in a facile approach.