Fabrication of novel silicon carbide-based nanomaterials with unique hydrophobicity and microwave absorption property

Novel SiC-based nanomaterials, namely the nitrogen and aluminum co-doped SiC@SiO₂ core-shell nanowires and nitrogen-doped SiO₂/Al₂O₃ nanoparticles, have been fabricated through a facile thermal treatment process based on the chemical vapor deposition and vapor-liquid reaction. These nanomaterials show remarkable hydrophobicity with a water contact angle (CA) over 140°, which are aroused by the surface zigzag morphology of the nanostructures and the hydrocarbyl groups generated during the preparation process. Moreover the nanocomposites also exhibit relatively prominent microwave absorption (MA) properties in the frequency range of 2.0-18.0 GHz. The minimum reflection loss (RL) value as low as −23.68 dB can be observed at 14.16 GHz when the absorber thickness is 2.6 mm with a loading rate of 16.7 wt%. And the nanocomposites-based absorbent can achieve an effective absorption bandwidth (RL < −10 dB) of 4.48 GHz with the absorbent thickness of 2.5 mm. This enhanced microwave attenuation performance can be attributed to multiple polarizations and perfect impedance matching conditions, as well as multiple internal reflections. These marvelous properties make these N and Al co-doped SiC@SiO₂ core-shell nanowires and N-doped SiO₂/Al₂O₃ nanoparticles display extensive application potential as MA materials in harsh environment.     

Fabrication and microwave absorbing property of WO3@WC with a core-shell porous structure

Special microstructure can significantly improve the microwave absorption property of rare materials. In this paper, porous WC powders were successfully synthesized by spray granulation method. Then, WO₃@WC materials with core-shell porous structure can be prepared after 410 °C heating treatment at different time to form the outer WO₃ oxidation layer. In addition, the microstructure, morphology, phase analysis and electromagnetic property were fully studied by investigating the WC-based materials in different structures. For WO₃@WC core-shell porous materials, when the coating thickness was 2.1 mm, the maximum reflection loss can reach ?19.4 dB at 12.6 GHz, which shows quite good microwave absorbing effects. The core-shell porous structure enhances the original microwave absorption performance due to the multiple reflection reflections and polarizations.     

Hierarchical brain-coral-like structure (3D) vs rod-like structure (1D): Effect on electromagnetic wave loss features of SrFe12O19 and CoFe2O4

Morphological configuration plays a vital role in regulating the absorption performance of magnetic materials. Herein, a novel challenge is discussed on electromagnetic loss features of two hard and soft magnetic materials with hierarchical brain-coral like structure and rod-like structure. In this study, pure SrFe₁₂O₁₉ (Sr) as hard magnetic component and CoFe₂O₄ (Co) as soft magnetic component with two distinct morphologies were successfully synthesized by facile hydrothermal and solvothermal methods. In the first approach, electromagnetic loss features of rod and brain-coral-like particles were investigated, and in second approach -according to the obtained results-microwave absorption performance of a mixture of hard/soft magnetic components with hierarchical structure were evaluated. The minimal reflection loss (RL) for brain-coral-like particles of individual Sr and Co samples were −17.6 dB (at 18.8 GHz with 9 mm thickness) and −31.2 dB (at 8.1 GHz with 10 mm thickness), respectively, which show far better performance than rod-like structure. Remarkably, the composite of Sr and Co micro-particles with hierarchical structure exhibited strong RL value of −38 dB with 2.6 GHz effective absorption bandwidth at the thickness of 2.5 mm, with a filling ratio of 40 wt%. According to the results, it is founded that the electromagnetic loss features are crucially boosted via hierarchical configuration of magnetic materials. Increment in complex permittivity and permeability, accounting for the formation of cross-linked networks in the hierarchical structure, promoted the interfacial polarization phenomena with different relaxation times and appearance of multi resonance peaks.     

Tunable design of ZnFe2O4@C@BPC hybrid with rich heterogeneous interfaces as a hydrophobic electromagnetic wave absorber

Environmentally friendly microwave absorbers with superior electromagnetic wave absorption, lightweight and hydrophobic ability have received considerable attention in practical applications. However, addressing the above-mentioned characteristics is simultaneously a tremendous challenge. Along these lines, in this work, a lightweight and efficient hybrid material was fabricated by employing simple self-assembly of core-shell ZnFe₂O₄@C nanospheres embedded within longan shell-derived honeycomb-like porous carbon. The results display that the carbon skeleton not only improves the conduction loss, but also promotes the reflection and scattering of EM wave. In addition, the core-shell ZnFe₂O₄@C microspheres are conducive to enhancing the ability of interface polarization and magnetic loss, and further improving the synergistic effect between the dielectric loss and magnetic loss. Furthermore, the unique structure of the ZnFe₂O₄@C@BPC endows it excellent hydrophobicity and avoids water vapor contamination in practical applications. Precisely, at a thickness of 3.4 mm, the minimum reflection loss (RL) is up to ?58.6 dB at 12.9 GHz. Notably, the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) is as wide as 9.1 GHz (8.9–18.0 GHz), covering almost the entire X and Ku bands. Consequently, this outstanding performance renders the ZnFe₂O₄@C@BPC composite quite attractive for a broad range of applications in lightweight, hydrophobic microwave absorption materials.     

Nano-SiC-decorated Y2Si2O7 ceramic for enhancing electromagnetic waves absorption performance

To improve the electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption performance of rare earth silicate in harsh environments, this work synthesized dense SiC–Y₂Si₂O₇ composite ceramics with excellent EM wave absorption properties by using the polymer permeation pyrolysis (PIP) process, which introduced carbon and SiC into a porous Y₂Si₂O₇ matrix to form novel composite ceramics. SiC–Y₂Si₂O₇ composite ceramics with different numbers of PIP cycles were tested and analysed. The results show that the as-prepared composites exhibit different microstructures, porosities, dielectric properties and EM wave absorption properties. On the whole, the SiC–Y₂Si₂O₇ composite ceramics (with a SiC/C content of 29.88 wt%) show superior microwave absorption properties. The minimum reflection loss (RL_min) reaches ?16.1 dB when the thickness is 3.9 mm at 9.8 GHz. Moreover, the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) included a broad frequency from 8.2 GHz to 12.4 GHz as the absorbent thickness varied from 3.15 mm to 4.6 mm. In addition, the EM wave absorption mechanism was analysed profoundly, which ascribed to the multiple mediums of nanocrystalline, amorphous phases and turbostratic carbon distributed in the Y₂Si₂O₇ matrix. Therefore, SiC–Y₂Si₂O₇ composite ceramics with high-efficiency EM wave absorption performance promise to be a novel wave absorbing material for applications in harsh environments.     

Fabrication of hierarchical PANI@W-type barium hexaferrite composites for highly efficient microwave absorption

Hexagonal barium ferries is a promising and efficient microwave (MW) absorbing material, but the low dielectric loss and poor conductivity have limited their extensive applications. In this work, a simple tactic of coating conductive polymer PANI on hexaferrite BaCo₂Fe₁₆O₂₇ is presented, wherein the dielectric properties are customized, and more significantly, the electromagnetic loss is greatly enhanced. As displayed from structural characterizations, PANI were coated equably on the surface of hexaferrite grains by an in-situ polymerization process. The outcomes exhibit the as-prepared PANI@hexaferrite composite has remarkable electromagnetic wave absorption capacity. When the thickness is 6.0 mm, the minimal RL of ?40.4 dB was achieved at 2.9 GHz. The effective absorption bandwidth (RL < ?20 dB) of 0.65 GHz, 0.53 GHz, 0.65 GHz, 0.52 GHz, 0.46 GHz and 0.39 GHz was achieved separately when the thickness ranges from 4 to 9 mm. The highly efficient MW absorbing performance of PANI@hexaferrite composite were the consequence of multiple loss mechanisms and perfect impedance matching. It is demonstrated that the PANI@hexaferrite composite with excellent MW absorption performance is expected to be potential MW absorbers for extensive applications.     

A design of core-shell structure for γ-MnO2 microspheres with tunable electromagnetic wave absorption performance

Manganese dioxide (MnO₂) has been widely utilized in the electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption field because it exhibits numerous crystal types including α-MnO₂, β-MnO₂, γ-MnO₂, and δ-MnO₂, and is environmentally friendly. To enhance the EMW absorption performance of this material, we combined the precipitation method and calcination process to obtain γ-MnO₂ microspheres, and developed a core-shell structure of γ-MnO₂@SiO₂ and γ-MnO₂@SiO₂@TiO₂ microspheres via the sol-gel process. Based on the synergistic effects between the core-shell structure and dielectric loss, γ-MnO₂@SiO₂ with a thickness of 2.85 mm achieved the minimum reflection loss of ?60.2 dB, demonstrating that these microspheres are excellent candidates for EMW absorbers.     

Enhanced microwave absorption features of Ba3Co2Fe24O41 hexaferrite by high lanthanium doping concentration

Controlling material structure and its electromagnetic properties, including complex permittivity and permeability, could enhance the microwave absorption performance of the material in terms of reflection loss and effective absorption bandwidth. In this study, La-substituted barium hexaferrite, Ba_3−xLa_xCo₂Fe₂₄O₄₁ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) compounds were successfully prepared using the solid-state reaction method, and their corresponding microstructures, static magnetic properties, and electromagnetic features in 2–18 GHz were investigated. The doping of La content increased saturation magnetization, coercivity, and remnant magnetization. The Ba_2.7La_0.3Co₂Fe₂₄O₄₁ epoxied sample with 3.5 mm thickness possessed an excellent microwave absorption of −47.3 dB at 3.52 GHz, and its corresponding effective absorption bandwidths were 3.75 GHz (2.25–6 GHz) and 0.57 GHz (17.43–18 GHz). It is shown that doping with various La concentrations on Ba₃Co₂Fe₂₄O₄₁ can be used as an effective technique to tune the performance of microwave absorbers based on barium hexaferrite.     

Synthesis of CoNi/SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles decorated reduced graphene oxide nanosheets for enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption properties

In this research, the nanocomposites, CoNi/SiO₂ core-shell nanoparticles decorated reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets, are successfully synthesized via liquid-phase reduction reactions combined with a sol-gel route. The structures, morphologies, chemical composition and magnetic properties of CoNi nanoparticles, CoNi/SiO₂ core-shell nanoparticles and RGO/CoNi/SiO₂ nanocomposites have been investigated in exhaustive detail. The electromagnetic (EM) parameters of RGO/CoNi/SiO₂ nanocomposites are measured using a vector network analyzer. The results reveal that the RGO/CoNi/SiO₂ nanocomposites display enhanced EM wave absorption properties with the maximum reflection loss (R_L) of ??46.3?dB at 6.2?GHz with a matching thickness of 4.2?mm. Additionally, the absorption bandwidth corresponding to the R_L less than ??10?dB is up to 14.3?GHz (3.7–18.0?GHz) with a matching thickness range of 2.0–5.0?mm. To comprehensively consider the absorption bandwidth and the maximum R_L, the integrational method which defines ΔS as the integration area of R_L (R_L < ??10?dB) and R_E as EM wave absorption efficiency is adopted to reveal that the RGO/CoNi/SiO₂ nanocomposites exhibit the excellent absorption properties with the matching thickness of only 2.0?mm. Accordingly, the as-prepared RGO/CoNi/SiO₂ nanocomposites could be applied as promising EM wave absorption materials.     

Polymer-derived Co2Si(Co)/SiCN composite ceramics with tunable microwave absorption properties

In this paper, Co₂Si(Co)/SiCN composite ceramics were synthesized by simple precursor-derived ceramics method. The phase composition, morphology, and microwave absorption properties of Co₂Si(Co)/SiCN composite ceramics at different pyrolysis temperatures (1000–1400°C) were studied. When pyrolysis temperature was 1300°C, carbon nanowires (CNWs), Co₂Si, Si₂N₂O, SiC and Si₃N₄ were in situ generated and the best electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption performance was obtained. The minimum reflection loss reached−50.04 dB at 4.81 mm, and the effective absorption bandwidth broadened to 3.48 GHz (14.52–18 GHz) at 1.31 mm. The excellent EMW absorption performance mainly comes from the coexistence of multiple loss mechanisms, including the magnetic loss of Co₂Si, the conduction loss of CNWs, and the heterogeneous interfaces polarization between varieties of nanocrystals and amorphous ceramic matrix. By adjusting the sample thickness from 1 to 5 mm, the effective absorption of S1300 can cover the entire X and Ku bands, from 3.36 to 18 GHz. This study provides a simple way to synthesize high performance ceramic-based microwave absorbing materials.     

Hollow porous magnetic/magnetic heterostructured CoFe/defective spinel microspheres template-free synthesis and effective modulation of microwave absorption performance

To create a spinel ferrite with excellent performance for electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption in the low frequency range of 4–6 GHz, compositions based on Co_0.75Zn_0.125Fe_0.125Fe₂O₄ (CZF–1) and Co_0.5Zn_0.25Fe_0.25Fe₂O₄ (CZF–2) with multiple elements substituted for A sites were synthesized by using solvothermal method. Hollow porous magnetic/magnetic heterostructure microspheres (HHMs) of CZF–A1 and CZF–A2 with multiple interfaces were prepared by hydrogen–thermal reduction of CZF–1 and CZF–2, and their unique structure and EM absorption properties were investigated in detail. The widest effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of CZF–A1 and CZF–A2 was 4.1 GHz (13.6–17.7 GHz) and 3.7 GHz (8.0–11.7 GHz) for a corresponding thickness of 1.4 mm and 2.0 mm, respectively. In addition, the minimum reflection loss (R.L_min) of CZF–A1 and CZF–A2 reached –49.1 dB (at f_m = 13.4 GHz) and –45.0 dB (at f_m = 4.2 GHz) at a thicknesses of 1.6 mm and 3.7 mm, respectively. More specifically, in the low frequency region of 4–6 GHz, CZF–A1 and CZF–A2 exhibited excellent EM wave absorption due to the effective regulation of their natural resonance frequency. The EM wave absorption frequency band of CZF–A1 and CZF–A2 samples was able to completely cover the 4–6 GHz frequency region for at coating thickness of CZF–A1 and CZF–A2 was only 3.5 mm and 3.3 mm respectively, and their R.Lmin reached –36.5 dB and –22.6 dB. Moreover, the absorption mechanisms of CZF–A1 and CZF–A2 including magnetic resonance, eddy current loss, interfacial polarization and dipole polarization were also investigated in detail. This research provides new insights and guidance for the development of spinel ferrite-based EM absorbers for high efficiency EM wave absorption in the low frequency (4–6 GHz) region.     

Constructing hierarchical Ti3SiC2 layer and carbon nanotubes on SiC fibers for enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption

To enhance the absorption performance of silicon carbide fiber (SiC_f), hybrid fibers with a double shell structure (Ti₃SiC₂ and carbon nanotubes (CNTs)) on the SiC_f (CNT@Ti₃SiC₂@SiC_f) were successfully synthesized by the combination of molten salt method and floating catalytic chemical vapor deposition. A series of 10% weight fraction fibers reinforced paraffin samples was prepared to study the double coating influences on the electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption performances. Coated by Ti₃SiC₂ and CNTs, the dielectric permittivity of hybrid fibers could be modulated in a quite wide range. The CNT@Ti₃SiC₂@SiC_f with a thickness of 3.8 mm showed a minimum reflection loss value of ?53 dB at 6.57 GHz, and the CNT@Ti₃SiC₂@SiC_f with a thickness of 2.5 mm presented a wide effective absorption bandwidth of 5.6 GHz (from 9 to 14.6 GHz). The highly improved EMW absorption performance of CNT@Ti₃SiC₂@SiC_f was attributed to the combination of conductive loss and dielectric loss aroused by interfaces. The excellent absorption performance provided the modified SiC_f with a high potential in the application of EMW absorbers.     

Electromagnetic wave absorbing properties of Cr2AlB2 powders and the effect of high-temperature oxidation

The electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbing properties of Cr₂AlB₂ powders and those after high-temperature oxidation were investigated. Coupling of magnetic and dielectric loss enables Cr₂AlB₂ with good absorption properties. The minimum reflection loss (RL) value is −44.9 dB at 8.5 GHz with a thickness of 2.7 mm, and the optimized effective absorption bandwidth (E_AB) is 4.4 GHz (13.0-17.4 GHz) with a thickness of 1.6 mm. After oxidation at 750, 900, and 1000°C for 2 h, the minimum RL values, respectively, are −23.9 dB (17.5 GHz, 1.5 mm), −41.4 dB (16.5 GHz, 1.5 mm), and −39.5 dB (8.0 GHz, 3.0 mm); and the corresponding E_AB values, respectively, are 3.8 GHz (13.6-17.4 GHz, 1.7 mm), 4.1 GHz (13.5-17.6 GHz, 1.6 mm), and 4.4 GHz (13.0-17.4 GHz, 1.7 mm). With an absorber thickness of 1.5-4.0 mm, the E_AB with a RL value of less than −10 dB can be tuned in a broad-frequency range 5.0-18.0 GHz, which basically covers C (4-8 GHz), X (8-12 GHz), and Ku (12-18 GHz) bands. These results demonstrate that Cr₂AlB₂, as a high-efficient and oxidation-resistant absorber, is a promising candidate for microwave absorption applications and can retain good EM wave absorbing properties after high-temperature oxidation.     

Enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption performance of SiCN(Fe) fibers by in-situ generated Fe3Si and CNTs

The SiCN(Fe) fibers with excellent one-dimensional microstructure and electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption performance were synthesized by combining polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) method and electrospinning. The in-situ generation of Fe₃Si and CNTs by adding ferric acetylacetonate (FA) into the raw materials effectively improved the dielectric properties, magnetic properties and the impedance matching performance of the SiCN(Fe) fibers. The EMW absorption performance of SiCN(Fe) fibers were mainly based on dipole polarization loss, interface polarization loss and eddy current loss. The RL_min value of SiCN(Fe) fibers reached ?47.64 dB at 1.38 mm and the effective absorption band (EAB, RL ≤ ?10 dB) reached 4.28 GHz (13.72–18 GHz, 1.35 mm).     

Fabrication method,dielectric properties,and electromagnetic absorption performance of high alumina fly ash-based ceramic composites

Mullite-Al₂O₃-SiC composites were in-situ synthesized through carbothermal reduction reaction of fly ash (FA) with a high alumina content and activated carbon (AC). The effects of sintering temperature, holding time, and amount of AC on the β-SiC yield, microstructure, dielectric properties, and electromagnetic (EM) absorption performance of the composites in the 2–18 GHz frequency range were studied. The results show that increasing the AC improves the porosities of the composites, with the highest porosity of 56.17% observed. The β-SiC yield varies considerably as the sintering parameters were altered, with a maximum yield of 23% achieved under conditions of 12 wt% AC, 1400 °C sintering temperature, and 3 h holding time. With a thickness of 3.5 mm, this composite has excellent EM absorption performance, exhibiting a minimum reflection loss (RL_min) of -51.55 dB at 7.60 GHz. Significantly, the maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) reaches 3.39 GHz when the thickness is 3.0 mm. These results demonstrate that the composite prepared under ideal conditions can absorb 99.99% of the waves passing through it. Because of the interfacial polarization, conductive loss, and impedance matching of the heterostructure, the synthesized mullite-Al₂O₃-SiC composites with densities ranging from 1.43 g/cm³ to 1.62 g/cm³ demonstrate outstanding EM attenuation capabilities. Therefore, this study presents a remarkable way of utilizing fly ash to fabricate inexpensive, functional ceramic materials for EM absorption applications.     

Polymer-derived Co2Si@SiC/C/SiOC/SiO2/Co3O4 nanoparticles: Microstructural evolution and enhanced EM absorbing properties

In this work, porous core-shell structured Co₂Si@SiC/C/SiOC/SiO₂/Co₃O₄ nanoparticles were fabricated by a polymer-derived ceramic approach. The in situ formation of mesopores on the shell, microstructural, and phase evolution of resulting nanoparticles were investigated in detail. The obtained nanoparticles-paraffin composites possess a very low minimum reflection coefficient (RC_min) −60.9 dB, broad effective absorption bandwidth 3.50 GHz in the X-band and 15.5 GHz in the whole frequency range (from 2.5 to 18 GHz). The results indicate outstanding electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing performance among all the reported cobalt-based nanomaterials, due to the reasons as follows: (a) The unique core-shell structure as well as complex phase composition of SiC/C/SiOC/SiO₂/Co₃O₄ in the shell, result in a large number of heterogeneous interfaces in the nanoparticles; (b) Nanoparticles have both dielectric and magnetic loss; (c) Mesopores in the shell prolong the propagation path of EMW, thereby increasing the absorption/reflection ratio of EMWs. Thanks to the material structure design, the resulting core-shell structured cobalt-containing ceramic nanoparticles have great potential for thin and high-performance EMW absorbing materials applied in harsh environment.     

Polyaniline-based networks combined with Fe3O4 hollow spheres and carbon balls for excellent electromagnetic wave absorption

Polyaniline (PANI)-based networks combined with Fe₃O₄ hollow spheres and carbon balls (FCP) for improved electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption were investigated using an easy-to-industrialize solvothermal and physical method. Hollow structure Fe₃O₄ spheres with a lower density than that of the common solid sphere were prepared. As a thin and light magnetic material, Fe₃O₄ hollow spheres generate magnetic loss, carbon balls and PANI networks generate dielectric loss. The magnetic and conductive parts play appropriate roles in achieving complementarity in the EMW absorption. The relatively high specific surface area introduced by PANI networks promotes interfacial polarization and further supports dielectric loss. In conclusion, the above reasons provide multiple attenuation mechanisms. Samples FCP1 (?65.109 dB, at 12.800 GHz, 1.966 mm, from 5.6 to 18.0 GHz) and FCP2 (?61.033 dB, at 8.480 GHz, 3.328 mm, from 4.3 to 18.0 GHz) demonstrated a wide bandwidth, a small thickness, a minimum reflection loss (R_L), and a low loading ratio (25%) in paraffin-based composites. Specifically, their loading ration of 25% is much lower than the loading ratio of conventional materials (usually 50% and above). In addition, the bandwidth is excessively wide, above 12 GHz, possessing good absorption performance in continuous intervals with different thicknesses. Such excellent characteristics have rarely been reported in literature.     

Coupling CoFe2O4 and SnS2 nanoparticles with reduced graphene oxide as a high-performance electromagnetic wave absorber

The reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/CoFe₂O₄/SnS₂ composites have been successfully synthesized by two-step hydrothermal processes. TEM results show that CoFe₂O₄ and SnS₂ nanoparticles with both diameters about 5–10 nm are well dispersed on the surface of graphene. Compared with RGO/CoFe₂O₄ composites, the as-prepared RGO/CoFe₂O₄/SnS₂ composites exhibit excellent electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption properties in terms of both the maximum reflection loss and the absorption bandwidth. The maximum reflection loss of RGO/CoFe₂O₄/SnS₂ composites is −54.4 dB at 16.5 GHz with thickness of only 1.6 mm and the absorption bandwidth with the reflection loss below −10 dB is up to 12.0 GHz (from 6.0 to 18.0 GHz) with a thickness in the range of 1.5–4.0 mm. And especially, they cover the whole X band (8.0–12.0 GHz), which could be used for military radar and direct broadcast satellite (DBS).     

Controlled synthesis and electromagnetic wave absorption properties of core-shell Fe3O4@SiO2 nanospheres decorated graphene

Fe₃O₄/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method and then SiO₂ coated onto Fe₃O₄ by a modified Stӧber method. The transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy characterization indicate that masses of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ core-shell structure nanospheres attached to the RGO sheets, and that the thicknesses of SiO₂ shells are about 20–40 nm. The X-ray diffractograms and Raman spectra illustrate that the synthesized samples consist of highly crystallized cubic Fe₃O₄, amorphous SiO₂ and disorderedly stacked RGO sheets. The magnetic hysteresis loops reveal the ferromagnetic behavior of the samples at room temperature. In addition, the Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/RGO paraffin composite exhibit excellent electromagnetic wave absorption properties at room temperature in the frequency range of 2–18 GHz, which are attributed to the effective complementarities between the dielectric loss and magnetic loss. For Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/RGO-1 and Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/RGO-2 nanocomposite, the minimum reflection loss can reach −26.4 dB and −16.3 dB with the thickness of 1.5 mm, respectively. The effective absorption bandwidth of the samples can reach more than 10.0 GHz with the thickness in the range of 1.5–3.0 mm. It is demonstrated that such nanocomposite could be used as a promising candidate in electromagnetic wave absorption area.     

Enhanced microwave absorption properties of Fe-doped SiOC ceramics by the magnetic-dielectric loss properties

The combination of multiple loss characteristics is an effective approach to achieve broadband microwave wave absorption performance. The Fe-doped SiOC ceramics were synthesized by polymer derived ceramics (PDCs) method at 1500 °C, and their dielectric and magnetic properties were investigated at 2–18 GHz. The results showed that adding Fe content effectively controlled the composition and content of multiphase products (such as Fe₃Si, SiC, SiO₂ and turbostratic carbon). Meanwhile, the Fe promoted the change of the grain size. The Fe₃Si enhanced the magnetic loss, and the SiC and turbostratic carbon generated by PDCs process significantly increased the polarization and conductance loss. Besides, the magnetic particles Fe₃Si and dielectric particles SiO₂ improved the impedance matching, which was beneficial to EM wave absorption properties. Impressively, the Fe-doped SiOC ceramics (with Fe addition of 3 wt %) presented the minimum reflection coefficient (RC_min) of ?20.5 dB at 10.8 GHz with 2.8 mm. The effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RC < ?10 dB) covered a wide frequency range from 5 GHz to 18 GHz (covered the C, X and Ku-band) when the absorbent thickness increased from 2 mm to 5 mm. Therefore, this research opens up another strategy for exploring novel SiOC ceramics to design the good EM wave-absorbing materials with broad absorption bandwidth and thin thickness.