Waxberry-like Mo2C@N doped carbon hierarchical structures for broadband electromagnetic absorptions

Abstract

Broadband electromagnetic absorption materials showcase advantages for coping the increasingly complicated electromagnetic pollution and interferences. Among them, carbon-based materials, with light weight and high stability, are potential ideal electromagnetic absorption materials. The broadband design strategy for carbon-based electromagnetic absorption materials usually involves with hierarchical structure and interface engineering, which is often costly or complex. In this paper, the phosphomolybdic acid is designed to simultaneously serve as the doping protonic acid, as well as the doping Mo source. Waxberry-like Mo2C@N doped carbon hierarchical structures are synthesized through the carbonization of low-cost polyaniline precursors. The hierarchical structures exhibit significantly enhanced electromagnetic absorptions. The optimal RL reaches −50.4 dB, and the effective bandwidth can reach 5.1 GHz at a thickness of 2.0 mm. The enhanced electromagnetic absorptions are mainly attributed to the microscale waxberry-like hierarchical structure, the Mo2C and N doped carbon polarization structures, as well as the asymmetric Mo–N interfacial hybridizations. This work provides a reference path for the design of broadband carbon-based electromagnetic absorption materials.