Wide Effective Absorption Bandwidth Research Articles

Rare earth doped magnetoelectric composites for enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption

Magnetoelectric electromagnetic wave absorption materials (EWAMs) with multiple loss mechanisms have shown remarkable results in solving electromagnetic (EM) interference and radar stealth. However, due to the Snoek limit, the magnetic properties are affected to some extent. Hence, based on low-cost two-dimensional graphite nanosheets and magnetic ferrite, a rare-earth doping strategy is innovatively proposed, aiming to develop a high-efficiency EWAM. Specifically, taking advantage of the significant differences in magnetic moments and dimensions between Gd and Fe ion, the modified ferrite owns unusual magnetic properties and dielectric capacity. Further, direct control of the EM parameters is achieved by finely tuning the component ratio, which in turn optimizes the response characteristics of EM wave absorption. Experimental results show a maximum reflection loss of −64.04 dB and a wide effective absorption bandwidth covering 4.88 GHz, corresponding to the absorption efficiency of −42.7 dB/mm and 3.25 GHz/mm, respectively. The outstanding performance is related to the synergistic effect of multiple loss management and impedance matching, and further confirmed by the radar cross section (RCS) reduction of 29.15 dBsm. Thus, the novel way opens a new horizon for the next magnetic-based EWAMs.

The synergistic effects on the magnetic CoNi and Fe3O4 nanoparticles co-embedded porous carbon toward enhanced microwave absorbing performance

Abstract Lightweight and environmentally friendly three-dimensional biomass-derived porous carbon (3D BPC) holds great potential as a highly effective material for microwave absorption (MA) applications. However, the high complex permittivity and lack of magnetic loss in a single 3D BPC lead to impedance mismatching and a limited absorption bandwidth. Developing 3D BPC–based absorbers with multiple loss mechanisms and excellent impedance matching remains a notable yet challenging task. In this study, inspired by a synergistic composition and microstructure design, 3D BPC co-embedded with magnetic cobalt–nickel (CoNi) and iron(III) oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (3D BPC@CoNi@Fe3O4) was developed. 3D BPC@CoNi@Fe3O4 exhibited consistently low complex permittivity, primarily due to the suppression of conductive loss, whereas the introduction of magnetic phases (CoNi and Fe3O4) enhanced the magnetic loss. Optimised impedance matching, achieved through the synergistic regulation of the electromagnetic parameters, emerged as the key mechanism for improving the MA properties. The as-synthesised 3D BPC@CoNi@Fe3O4 composite, with only 20 wt.% loading demonstrated a wide effective absorption bandwidth (reflection loss [RL] < −10 dB) of 6.08 GHz and an impressive minimum RL value of −40.08 dB. These findings offer valuable insights into the development of high-performance 3D BPC–based microwave absorbers through composition and microstructure optimisation.

Efficient Nanofibrous Electromagnetic Wave Absorber Inspired by Spider Silk Hunting.

With the rapid advancements in wireless communication and radar detection technologies, there has been a significant uptick in the utilization frequency of electromagnetic waves across both civilian and military sectors, consequently generating substantial electromagnetic radiation and interference. These electromagnetic pollutants present a considerable threat to public health and information security. Consequently, materials capable of absorbing and mitigating electromagnetic pollution have garnered significant attention.The nanomaterials with multiple components and various heterogeneous interfaces have been considered as preferred efficient electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbers. In this work, carbon nanofibers doped with magnetic metal oxide particles (Co/Ni-CNFs) are prepared by electrospinning and heat treatment. In these samples, the minimum reflection loss can reach -40.13dB at 4.6mm, and the widest effective absorption bandwidth is 4.4GHz. The excellent microwave absorption is attributed to the appropriate impedance matching. The electromagnetic parameters of Co/Ni-CNFs are balanced by adjusting the concentration of magnetic metal-organic framework material (MOFs) in the precursor solution. It is believed that this work can provide a reference for developing lightweight, flexible, and robust electromagnetic wave-absorbing materials.

Mechanical and broadband absorption properties of Nextel 610/SiOC composites synergistically enhanced by the interfacial structure design

In this work, BN interphase and Si3N4 matrix were prepared by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) to optimize the mechanical properties of N610/SiOC composites, and the strengthening and toughening mechanisms were investigated. The results showed that the content and distribution of Si3N4 matrix and the thickness of BN interphase could tailor the strength and toughness of composites simultaneously. The optimal tensile strength of 234 MPa and flexural strength of 338 MPa were obtained by Si3N4 reinforced N610/SiOC composites with a BN interphase thickness of 540 nm, respectively. Meanwhile, free carbon modified BN interphase (BN(C)) and multi-layer “mortise and tenon” joint were designed to optimize the broadband EMW absorption. The impedance-matching “mortise and tenon” joint achieved a wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 8.4 GHz and a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −52.55 dB. This work inspires designing and fabricating CMC with both good mechanical and broadband EMW absorption properties.

Hollow core-shell structured Fe3O4@Polypyrrole composites for enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption

Due to the rapid development of electronic devices, the electromagnetic pollution has become increasingly serious. Developing electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) materials with lightweight, strong absorption capacity and wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) becomes a research hotspot. In this work, the hollow-Fe3O4@polypyrrole (HFO@PPy) composites with core-shell structure were successfully synthesized by in situ polymerization method. The electromagnetic parameters could be adjusted by controlling the content of HFO in HFO@PPy. In addition, HFO@PPy composites show both dielectric and magnetic losses. The synergistic effect of both two losses contributes to an enhanced electromagnetic attenuation. The enhanced impedance matching is achieved by the composition (HFO and PPy) and designed unique structure (core-shell and hollow structure). The maximum reflection loss (RL) and EAB are −52.01 dB and 2.72 GHz at 3.1 mm for 60.0 wt% HFO@PPy composites. Therefore, by reasonably regulating the component content and optimizing the structural design, the EWA performance of HFO@PPy composites could be effectively improved, providing a significant inspiration for fabrication of microwave absorbers.

Multi-shell bowl-like carbon microspheres for lightweight and broadband microwave absorption

Carbon materials have made significant progress in the field of microwave absorption (MA), but achieving wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) at low filler content still remains a great challenge. In this work, we design multi-shell bowl-like mesoporous carbon microspheres (MBMCs) by a facile hard template method for efficient MA. It is demonstrated that the spacing between inner and outer shell and second shell thickness play a vital role on the configuration of carbon microspheres. By controlling the second addition of silica template, the microstructure of carbon microsphere evolves from spherical to bowl shape geometry. Expanded shell spacing is beneficial for forming bowl-like microsphere. The dielectric loss and MA properties are highly associated with the configuration of MBMCs. Well-proportioned MBMCs with appropriate shell spacing present wide EAB of 7.3 GHz under a low filling ratio of 12 wt.%. This work paves a new way to broaden EAB and lower filling content of carbon materials via asymmetric multilayer microstructure design.

Integrated construction of 0D/1D/2D NiMn-LDH@CNT/MXene with multidimensionally hierarchical architecture towards boosting electromagnetic wave absorption

Constructing MXene-based absorbers with multicomponent and multidimensional hierarchical architecture is crucial but it still remains a formidable challenge to address the serious electromagnetic radiation pollution issue. Herein, a multidimensional 0D/1D/2D NiMn-LDH@CNT/MXene (NCM) hierarchical architecture composed of 0D NiMn-LDH anchored on 1D CNT and then assembled with 2D MXene is rationally constructed for electromagnetic waves (EMW) absorption. The EMW absorption performance of the resultant NCM significantly enhances thanks to the coupling effects of multicomponent and multidimensions. The balanced impedance matching, enriched EMW attenuation behaviors and plentiful polarization loss combine to facilitate EMW absorption. The NCM3 realizes an impressive reflection loss as low as −55.7 dB (2.49 mm) and a wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.1 GHz (12.9–18.0 GHz) with a thin matching thickness of 1.51 mm. Moreover, the regulation of matching thickness could enable the EAB to almost cover the entire frequency range. Simulated radar cross section strongly verifies the practical application potential of NCM. This work provides a valuable guidance for the design and construction of EMW absorption materials with hierarchical architecture.

Enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption performance of Ta₄C₃Tx MXenes with optimized interlayer spacing via hydrofluoric acid etching

Ta4C3Tx MXene, a novel two-dimensional material, shows significant application potential for electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption because of its unique layered structure and high conductivity. In this study, hydrofluoric acid etching was used to obtain Ta4C3Tx MXenes with varying interlayer spaces by adjusting the etching duration, which enhanced the EMW absorption performance. The impact of interlayer spacing on the EMW absorption performance of Ta4C3Tx MXene was systematically evaluated for the first time. The results show that the sample etched with hydrofluoric acid for 48 h (S2-48 h) exhibited the best EMW absorption performance. For S2-48 h, the optimal reflection loss (RL) value was −33.53 dB at a frequency of 9.74 GHz and a thickness of 1.4 mm. In addition, the widest effective absorption bandwidth was 2.97 GHz (10.73–13.7 GHz), which was achieved at a frequency of 11.72 GHz and a thickness of 1.2 mm. This outstanding performance is mainly attributed to good impedance matching and multiple loss mechanisms induced by the etching process, including conduction loss, dipolar polarization, interfacial polarization, and multiple RLs. Furthermore, this research expands the application potential of two-dimensional MXene materials in EMW absorption.

Bidirectional, Multilayer MXene/Polyimide Aerogels for Ultra-Broadband Microwave Absorption.

To obtain high-performance electromagnetic microwave (EM) absorption materials with broad effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) and reduced thickness, designing structures has proved to be a promising way. Herein, ultra-broadband multilayer bidirectional MXene/polyimide EM absorption aerogels containing multi-structures on scales ranging from the micro- to the macroscale are produced with the aid of electric and temperature fields. On the microscale, under the action of electric force and temperature gradient, the ordered structures made of aligned Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets and the microscale layered aerogel walls enable the bidirectional aerogel to achieve a wide EAB of 8.58GHz at a thickness of 2.1mm. This is ascribed to the numerous aligned nanosheets and layered aerogel walls perpendicular to the incident EMs, facilitating the conversion of electromagnetic energy into electrical energy. Furthermore, on the macroscale, the multilayer bidirectional aerogel with non-gradient structures effectively resolves the conflict between impedance matching and energy loss, resulting in an ultrawide EAB of 9.41GHz at a thickness of 3mm. This innovative design of electric-field-assisted multilayer bidirectional aerogels with multiscale structural coupling may provide feasible and effective pathways for the development of advanced EM absorption materials.

Lightweight and hierarchical carboxyl chitosan-derived carbon aerogel for electromagnetic wave absorber and heat insulation

In recent years, carbon aerogels derived from biomass have shown promising potential in electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption field owing to their lightweight nature, controllable structure, environmental friendliness, and abundant pore structure. This study reports a novel type of carbon aerogels based on carboxyl chitosan (CCS) and graphene oxide (GO) with rich pores and a unique three-dimensional interconnected structure through solution mixing, freeze-drying, and pyrolysis process. The EMW absorption performances of the carboxyl chitosan/GO xerogel derived carbon aerogels (CGCAs) are adjusted by varying the content of graphene oxide (GO). The nitrogen elements inherent in chitosan can provide a large number of defects to the carbonized material, effectively capturing and attenuating EMW. Synthesized CGCAs show excellent EMW absorption performance with increasing GO content and the CGCA-6 exhibits the best performance. At a thickness of 1.7 mm, it has RLmin of −61.67 dB, and at a thickness of 1.5 mm, it has the widest effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 4.24 GHz (12.96–17.12 GHz). Additionally, under far-field conditions, at a thickness of 1.7 mm, the maximum radar cross-section (RCS) reduction relative to a PEC plate for the prepared CGCA-6 is 22.28 dB m2. Furthermore, the good thermal insulation capability exhibited by CGCA-6 makes it suitable for complex application scenarios. Therefore, this biomass-derived multi-functional carbon aerogel with excellent EMW absorption performance, radar stealth, infrared stealth, and thermal insulation capabilities has broad prospects for applications in EMW protection and aerospace fields.

Fabrication of Micro‐Mesopores on Spiral Carbon Nanocoils and Simultaneous Doping with Oxygen to Expand Microwave Absorption Bandwidth

AbstractThe exceptional benefits of structural defects and doped atoms in carbon network regarding electromagnetic properties inspire the design of advanced carbon‐based microwave absorption (MA) materials. However, excessive structural defects decline the physical properties of materials, especially their conductivity. Therefore, it is a great challenge to balance structural defects and doped atoms to optimize conductive behavior for carbon‐based MA materials. The spiral carbon nanocoil (CNC), with coexisting amorphous and polycrystalline carbon structures and moderate conductivity, has significant MA properties but lacks pores and doped atoms. Herein, the amorphous carbon parts with relatively weak C─C bond energies are preferentially oxidized at 500 °C in air atmosphere to create pores and combine O atoms in the bodies of CNCs. Furthermore, the mechanism prioritizing the formation of O doping over defects is discovered. Benefiting from the synergistic interplay of structural defects and O dopants, the O‐enriched porous CNCs demonstrate enhanced conduction and polarization losses than the pure CNCs, realizing a wide effective absorption bandwidth of 7.3 GHz at a filling ratio of only 3 wt.%. Theoretical calculations further support these experimental results. The combination of structural defects and doped atoms may serve as an effective pathway for unlocking tunable dielectric properties of carbon‐based materials.

Thin thickness electromagnetic wave absorbent: Fe3O4 decorated carbon nanofibers composite with designable 3D hierarchical architecture

Designable 3D hierarchical architecture with multi-component heterostructure has been built to form a connected network by fully utilizing the advantages of one-dimensional carbon nanofibers. Fe3O4 decorated carbon nanofibers, which exhibited core-shell microstructures, were successfully prepared by solvothermal and electrospinning technology. Their electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) performances were explored. The morphology which determined the electromagnetic (EM) parameters can be controlled by adjusting the mass ratio of the raw material. The Fe3O4 decorated carbon nanofibers composite showed an excellent absorbing capability. At a thickness of 2.5 mm, the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value was −28.28 dB. In particular, the widest effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) can reach up to 2.96 GHz at 1.5 mm. It was more surprising that the effective absorption (RL ≤ −10 dB) occurred when the thickness was only 1.0 mm. The absorption mechanism study revealed that the connected structure facilitated the formation of conductive networks, leading to conductive loss, multiple reflection and scatterings, and interfacial polarization loss. The defects that created during carbonization process enhanced the dipole polarization. The generated magnetic loss which mainly consisted of natural resonance and exchanged resonance loss enhanced the attenuation of EW. Moreover, good impedance matching resulting from the synergistic effect of composition and unique porous network also played an important role. The little filler loading and the thin thickness make the composite have a high EWA performance, which is promising for EWA applications.

Constructing crystalline/amorphous heterojunction in FeCo@C nanoboxes for enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption

The advanced electromagnetic applications urgently require high performance absorbers with sophisticated structural and compositional design. An effective strategy is to construct a three-dimensional hollow structure, with enhanced electromagnetic wave dissipation capacity over a wide effective absorption bandwidth. However, a major challenge remains due to a single loss mechanism system derived from the conventional hollow nanobox structure, which seriously causes impedance mismatch and lack of polarization centers. Herein, we innovatively construct novel hollow structure FeCo@C (CMFC) with crystalline/amorphous heterojunction FeCo/C particles by cation exchange method, thereby achieving enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption. The CMFC achieves Ku-band effective absorption with a reflection loss of −50.57 dB and effective absorption bandwidth of 5.35 GHz at 1.8 mm. The CMFC exhibits excellent microwave absorption performance due to the presence of crystalline/amorphous FeCo/C heterojunction, which is attributed to the balanced dielectric loss and optimized impedance matching characteristics. CST simulations demonstrate that the CMFC has a radar scattering interface reduction value as high as 26.12 dBm (Wu et al., 2023) [2] at a scattering angle of 0°. This work provides new ideas for the rational design of hollow nanostructures with heterojunction particles for efficient microwave absorption.

Hierarchical Magnetic Carbon Nanoflowers for Ultra-Efficient Electromagnetic Wave Absorption.

Porous carbon nanomaterials are widely applied in the electromagnetic wave absorption (EMWA) field. Among them, an emerging flower-like carbon nanomaterial, termed carbon nanoflowers (CNFs), has attracted tremendous research attention due to their unique hierarchical flower-like structure. However, the design of flower-like carbon nanomaterials with different magnetic cores for EMWA has rarely been reported. Herein, a general template method is proposed to achieve a set of high-quality magnetic CNFs, namely Co@Void@CNFs, CoNi@CNFs, and Ni@CNFs. The prepared magnetic CNFs have highly accessible surface area and internal space, rich heteroatom content, multi-scale pore system, and uniform and highly dispersed magnetic nanoparticles, as a result, deliver superior EMWA performance. Specifically, when the thickness is 2.6mm, the Co@Void@CNFs exhibit a maximum refection loss (RLmax) of -56.6dB and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) from 8.0 to 12.1GHz covering the whole X band. The CoNi@CNFs have an RLmax of up to -57.6dB and a wide EAB of 5.6GHz at just 1.9mm. For the Ni@CNFs, possess an ultra-broad EAB of 6.1GHz, covering the entire Ku band at 2.0mm. Overall, the hierarchical magnetic carbon nanoflowers proposed here offer new insights toward realizing multifunctional integrated carbon nanomaterials for EMWA.

N-doped CNTs/CoNi nanochains-carbon hollow microspheres multi-level multi-scale heterogeneous interface structures and microwave absorption properties

Constructing multi-level multi-scale heterogeneous interfaces in magnetic carbon-based composites remains a formidable challenge, requiring rational material combinations to effectively balance dielectric and magnetic losses for achieving high strength and wide frequency wave absorption. Electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials consisted of cobalt-nickel (CoNi) magnetic nanochain, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) and hollow carbon microspheres were prepared by hydrothermal method without external magnetic field. These composites possessed a unique multi-level multi-scale heterogeneous interface structure that is highly advantageous for efficient absorption of EMWs. The CoNi nanoparticles were self-assembled into uniformly distributed and randomly oriented magnetic nanochains, which were further reassembled with NCNTs and hollow carbon microspheres to form heterogeneous interface structures resembling a rose, chrysanthemum, hedgehog ball, and bauhinia tree. Due to the high-density interface enhancing the loss ability of interface polarization, as well as the higher saturation magnetization, coercivity, and wave absorption ability of the magnetic nanochains compared to the magnetic nanoparticles themselves, the minimum reflection loss achieved is −66.86 dB, and the effective absorption bandwidth achieved is 5.01 GHz, at a content as low as 11 wt%. This study provides a new idea for generating nanochains without magnetic fields and constructing multi-level and multi-scale heterogeneous interface structures to achieve strong absorption and wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB).

Preparation of cellulose derived carbon/reduced graphene oxide composite aerogels for broadband and efficient microwave dissipation

The development of cellulose derived carbon-based composite aerogels with light weight, broad bandwidth and strong absorption remains a challenging task. In this work, the cellulose derived carbon/reduced graphene oxide composite aerogels were prepared by a two-stage process of chemical crosslinking and high-temperature carbonization. The results revealed that the as-fabricated binary composite aerogels had a unique lightweight characteristic and three-dimensional porous network structure, which was chemically crosslinked by epichlorohydrin. Furthermore, the weight concentration of graphene oxide (GO) had a notable influence on the electromagnetic parameters and microwave absorption properties of the composite aerogels. The obtained binary composite aerogel possessed the optimal microwave dissipation capability when the concentration of GO was 1.5 mg/mL. Remarkably, the minimum reflection loss reached −50.42 dB at a thickness of 2.47 mm and a filling ratio of 17.5 wt%. Concurrently, the composite aerogel with a comparable thickness of 2.73 mm showed a wide effective absorption bandwidth of 7.28 GHz, spanning the total Ku-band and extending into a portion of the X-band. The radar cross section contribution of binary composite aerogels in the far-field was also simulated by computer simulation technique. In addition, the potential microwave attenuation mechanism was proposed. It was believed that the results of this paper would offer a reference for the preparation of cellulose derived carbon-based composite aerogels as efficient and broadband microwave absorbers.

Designing Symmetric Gradient Honeycomb Structures with Carbon-Coated Iron-Based Composites for High-Efficiency Microwave Absorption

HighlightsMIL-88C (Fe) with varying aspect ratios as a precursor was synthesized by regulating oil bath conditions, followed by one-step thermal decomposition to obtain carbon-coated iron-based composites.High-efficiency microwave absorption properties were achieved with RLmin value of -67.4 dB (2.13 mm) and wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.52 GHz (1.90 mm) under the low filler loading.A symmetric gradient honeycomb structure was constructed utilizing the high-frequency structure simulator, achieving an EAB of 14.6 GHz and a RLmin of -59.0 dB.

V-Based MXene/MAX Heterostructure Composites with Enhancing Dielectric Loss for Broadband Microwave Absorption.

Electromagnetic wave absorption performance is strictly dependent on attenuation and impedance matching, which are directly influenced by the ratio of MXene/MAX in the multilayer structured MXene/MAX composites. However, there is still a challenge to achieve collaborative optimization of dielectric loss and impedance matching by precisely regulating the proportional relationship of MXene/MAX. Herein, V-based MXene/MAX heterostructure composites with different V2C/V2AlC ratios were successfully synthesized by rationally controlling the temperature and time of the hydrothermal reaction. Experimental results indicated that V2C-100 °C-1 harvested the balance between reduced impedance matching and enhanced dielectric losses, which was attributed to the mildly enhanced conduction loss and polarization loss. The first principles indicated that abundant electrons migrate from the V atoms of the MXene to the C atoms of the MAX phase. The charge redistributed and accumulated at the interface, exciting the increase in the dielectric loss of V2C-100 °C-1. As a result, the V2C-100 °C-1 heterostructure composite had an excellent electromagnetic absorption effect with a minimum reflection loss of -50.06 dB and a wide effective absorption bandwidth of 4.0 GHz (12.72-16.72 GHz). This work provides a valuable experience for the development of efficient MXene-based microwave absorbing materials.

Carbon nanotubes-encapsulated Co/Co7Fe3 nanocomposites: Achieving wideband electromagnetic wave absorption at ultrathin-thickness by regulating magnetic phase ratio

Nowadays, through various strategies such as composition regulation and structural design, the electromagnetic wave (EMW) attenuation ability of composites has been significantly improved. Nevertheless, at ultra-thin sample matching thicknesses, it is still a challenge for absorbing materials to possess high-intensity and wide bandwidth simultaneously. In this work, the cobalt/iron nitrilotriacetic acid chelates (Co/Fe-NAC) were fabricated by a one-step hydrothermal self-assembly strategy. Then, a series of carbon nanotubes-encapsulated Co/Co7Fe3 (Co/Co7Fe3@CNTs) nanocomposites were constructed by coating glucose hydrothermal carbon on Co/Fe-NAC precursors and subsequent calcination process. By controlling the Co/Fe ion content, the magnetic phase ratio in the product can be efficiently regulated to comprehensively optimize microwave absorption (MA) performance. The minimum reflection loss (RL) of the optimized sample is −42.6 dB at only 1.1 mm thickness, and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) reaches up to 10.1 GHz (7.9–18 GHz). Surprisingly, for all samples, the widest EAB can exceed 8.2 GHz at the ultra-thin thickness (thinner than 1.3 mm) and the strongest RL values are all below −30 dB (99.9 % EMW can be absorbed). Such excellent MA performance is attributed to the strong magnetic loss of highly dispersed magnetic nanoparticles, the strong dielectric properties of carbon nanotubes and shells, optimized impedance matching, as well as the synergistic effect of multi-dimensional heterogeneous components and structures. Moreover, the high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS) was used to further analyze the multi-polarization behaviors and heterogeneous magnetic coupling effect. This work may provide a new direction to the fabrication of efficient and ultra-thin absorbers, and Co/Co7Fe3@CNTs nanocomposites may become a promising candidate for practical application in the MA field.

The tune of shell numbers of multi-shell hollow mesoporous carbon microspheres for enhanced microwave absorption

The morphology of carbon nanomaterials plays significant effect on the complex permittivity and microwave absorption (MA) capability. Elaborate morphology design would bring about efficient MA performance. In this work, we develop a hollow mesoporous carbon microspheres with different shells (from single to quadruple shells) through a facile template method and layer-by-layer etching process. This multi-shell hollow mesoporous carbon microspheres (MS-HMCMs) can be regarded as a complex composite morphology consisting of hollow, mesoporous and yolk-shell structure, which presents the tunable number of shells for optimal impedance matching, multiple interfacial polarization and the extended microwave transmission path from internal spaces. Thus, the MS-HMCMs demonstrates wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 6.4 GHz and 5.96 GHz at the thicknesses of 2.5 mm and 3.0 mm. Besides, the complex permittivity and MA properties can be effectively tuned via regulating the shell numbers. This MS-HMCMs with controllable shells may be a promising wideband and lightweight microwave absorber.