Tuned MWCNT/CuO/Fe3O4/Polyaniline nanocomposites with exceptional microwave attenuation and a broad frequency band

Abstract

In this study, novel quaternary MWCNT/CuO/Fe3O4/PANI nanocomposites were synthesized with three different weight ratios of CuO/Fe3O4/PANI to MWCNT (1:3), (1:4), and (1:5), where all of its components were synthesized separately and then combined in specific weight ratios. CuO/Fe3O4/PANI transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed that most nanoparticles were in a CuO/Fe3O4 hybrid form, with a narrow size distribution uniformly dispersed in a polymer background. The TEM and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the MWCNT/CuO/Fe3O4/PANI nanocomposite revealed that the MWCNT was uniformly coated with CuO/Fe3O4/PANI. All three nanocomposites samples demonstrated superior microwave attenuation performance in terms of reflection loss and absorption bandwidth. The minimum reflection losses for MWCNT/CuO/Fe3O4/PANI nanocomposites (1:3), (1:4), and (1:5) were 45.7, 58.7, and 85.4, 87.4 dB, respectively. The absorption bandwidths (RL ≤ −10 dB) of MWCNT/CuO/Fe3O4/PANI nanocomposites (1:3), (1:4), and (1:5) were 6, 7.6, and 6 GHz, respectively.