Excellent electromagnetic wave absorption properties of SiCN ceramic aerogels via a controlled hydrosilylation reaction

Polymer-derived ceramic materials exhibit adjustable composition, microstructure, and dielectric properties and are widely used as high temperature microwave absorption materials in the aerospace field. In this study, polymer-derived SiCN ceramic aerogels with excellent electromagnetic wave absorption (EMA) properties were successfully fabricated through a combination of the sol-gel, freeze- drying, and polymer precursor conversion methods. The hydrosilylation reaction between the Si-H bond in polysilazane (a polymer ceramic precursor) and the C = C bond in divinylbenzene (a cross-linking agent) occurs to form a wet gel. The effects of the molar ratios of the two bonds (C = C/Si-H) on the microstructure and EMA properties of the SiCN ceramic aerogels were systematically studied. At a C = C/Si–H molar ratio of 1.25:1, the minimum reflection loss of the SiCN ceramic aerogels is −37.57 dB at 10.88 GHz. Moreover, the corresponding effective absorption bandwidth covers almost the entire X-band, showing excellent EMA properties.     

SiCN ceramics with controllable carbon nanomaterials for electromagnetic absorption performance

Different kinds of carbon nanomaterials, free carbon (C_free), graphene, and N-containing graphene (NG), in single-source-precursors-derived SiCN ceramics, were in situ generated by modifying polysilazane with divinylbenzene, dopamine hydrochloride and melamine, respectively. Adjusting the carbon source brings phase structure and electromagnetic wave absorption (EMA) properties differences of SiCN/C ceramics. In situ C_free enhances the EMA capacity of SiCN ceramics by improving their electrical conductivity of 9.2 × 10⁻⁴ S/cm. The electrical conductivity of SiCN ceramics with 2D graphene sheets balloons to 2.5 × 10⁻³ S/cm, causing poor impedance match thus leading to a worse EMA performance. In situ NG in SiCN ceramics has a low electrical conductivity of 5.6 × 10⁻⁸ S/cm, making for excellent impedance match. The corrugated NG boosts dielectric loss, interfacial, and dipole polarization. NG-SiCN nanocomposites possess an outstanding EMA performance with RL_min of −61.08 dB and effective absorption bandwidth of 4.05 GHz, which are ∼2.4 times lower and ∼4 times higher than those of SiCN, respectively.     

Hollow porous Ni@SiC nanospheres for enhancing electromagnetic wave absorption

Multi-component and a large number of non-homogeneous interface absorbers have been proven to be the preferred choice of electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials. Herein, hollow porous Ni@SiC nanospheres (HPNS) were successfully constructed by combining a carbothermal reduction preparation strategy and subsequent electroless plating process. The heterogeneous dielectric/magnetic multi-component benefit to excellent EMW absorption properties through forming multiple polarizations, dielectric loss, and magnetic loss effects. Particularly, the HPNS at the optimal ratio with a low filler loading of 20 wt% exhibits the minimum reflection loss (RL_min) value of −62.39 dB at 13.28 GHz and the maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB_max) is up to 5.36 GHz (12.64–18 GHz), and the corresponding thin matching thicknesses are 1.96 mm and 1.80 mm, respectively. Furthermore, the maximum radar cross section (RCS) reduction of HPNS over PEC reaches 26.02 dB m² (1.96 mm) under far-field conditions, which means that the prepared HPNS is extraordinarily promising for practical applications. This work guides the preparation of high-performance EMW absorbers as well as radar stealth materials.     

Controllable synthesis of porous CxNy nanofibers with enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption property

Porous C_xN_y nanofibers are controllably synthesized by a simple two-step method. The prepared samples possess uniform micropores and a chemical composition of C_0.73 N_0.27 with a surface area of 329 m² g⁻¹. The obtained C_xN_y nanofibers exhibit remarkable electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption properties when compared with conventional one-dimensional carbon materials. The minimum reflection loss (RL) reaches −36 dB at 2.7 GHz when the ratio of the C_xN_y absorbent added in paraffin matrix is only 1:3. The bandwidth of the RL below −10 dB covers 7.7 GHz (8.1–15.8 GHz) at the sample thickness of 2.5 mm. A possible EM wave loss mechanism was proposed in detail. The multiple reflection and dielectric loss could govern the excellent EM absorption leading the product to a probable application in stealth materials.     

Effect of filler loading and thickness parameters on the microwave absorption characteristic of double-layered absorber based on MWCNT/BaTiO3/pitted carbonyl iron composite

In this work, single- and double-layer electromagnetic wave absorbers were prepared by as-prepared MWCNTs/BaTiO₃/pitted carbonyl iron composites. MWCNT/BaTiO₃ (MW/BTO) was prepared via sol-gel method whereas the carbonyl iron particles (CI) were corroded via pitting corrosion method. The structural, microstructural, magnetic and microwave absorption properties of the composites were evaluated via X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and vector network analyzer (VNA) methods. CST studio software was employed to simulate the microwave absorption characteristics of double-layer absorbers. Moreover, the effects of changing matching and absorbing layer thickness (3 mm in total) and filler loading (10, 20 and 30 wt%) of the as-prepared composite on the microwave absorption properties were investigated. According to the results, maximum RL value for single layer absorber with 20 wt% filler loading can reach ?11.5 dB at 9.7 GHz with 3 mm thickness and 0.4 GHz bandwidth. In contrast, double-layered absorber using 10 wt% of the composite in the upper layer (as matching layer) and 30 wt% of the composite in lower layer (as absorbing layer) can increase the reflection loss and absorption bandwidth values to ?15.5 dB and 1 GHz respectively. Improving in absorption characteristics can be attributed to coupling interactions, impedance matching and multiple scattering. The main advantages of the prepared double layer absorber than single layer absorber are tuning the intensity and effective absorption bandwidth by adjusting the layer order, thickness and filler loading of each layer which shown good potential for practical application.     

Investigation on microwave absorption characteristics of ternary MWCNTs/CoFe2O4/FeCo nanocomposite coated with conductive PEDOT-Polyaniline Co-polymers

In this study, ternary MWCNTs/CoFe₂O₄/FeCo nanocomposite coated with conductive PEDOT-polyaniline (PA@MW/F/C) co-polymers were synthesized by microwave-assisted sol-gel followed in-situ polymerization methods. The phases, crystal structures, morphologies, magnetic and electromagnetic features of the as-prepared samples were identified via XRD, SEM, XPS, VSM, and VNA respectively. Absorption characteristics were investigated in the frequency (12–18 GHz) Ku band. XRD, VSM and SEM analysis confirmed the partial reduction process of CoFe₂O₄ and successfully decorated magneto-dielectric particles with co-polymers. By measuring electromagnetic features of the samples, it was found that coating magneto-dielectric particles with conductive co-polymers improved the permittivity and dielectric constant, accordingly affecting the impedance matching characteristic and attenuation constant performance. Moreover, exchange coupling behavior was found significant impacts on the microwave absorption properties. PA@MW/F/C coated nanocomposite revealed the maximum reflection loss of ?90 dB at 13.8 GHz with 4 GHz effective bandwidth and 1.5 mm thickness. Due to the enhanced interfacial polarization, impedance matching and exchange coupling effects of the as-prepared nanocomposite, it owns excellent microwave absorption properties, which can be applied as an absorber with distinguishing features (strong absorption, thin thickness, and broadest effective bandwidth).     

Multiple-loss-enhanced NiOx@carbon spheres/reduced graphene oxide-based composite for tuneable elimination of electromagnetic signals

In this work, a novel graphene-based ternary composite NiO_x@CS/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) consisting of magnetic nanoparticles (NiO_x) and porous carbon spheres (CS) were successfully synthesised through facile hydrothermal and high-temperature sintering approaches. Owing to the ternary structure, the dielectric and magnetic capacity of the composite was improved. Further, the synergistic effect of two loss mechanisms improves the absorption efficiency of electromagnetic waves. The maximum reflection loss of NiO_x@CS/rGO-20 wt% was ?69.3 dB at 7.2 GHz and the absorption bandwidth with reflection loss below ?10 dB was 4.04 GHz (6.36–10.4 GHz). Hence, the NiO_x@CS/rGO ternary composite with a combination of dielectric and magnetic loss-facilitated absorption provides a new design paradigm for tuneable elimination of electromagnetic signals.     

Formation of Sn filled CNTs nanocomposite: Study of their magnetic,dielectric properties and enhanced microwave absorption performance at gigahertz frequencies

The Simplistic formation, advantageous configuration, non-colossal magnetoresistance and broadband absorption are important parameters for microwave absorbent materials. In this study, a core-shell nanocomposite comprising of Sn-filled carbon nanotubes (Sn/CNTs) was prepared by arc discharge method. The microstructure, morphology and surface composition of Sn/CNTs-based core-shell nanocomposites were characterized in detail. Sn/CNTs nanocomposite showed a magnetic signal due to the broken bonds and defects at interfaces in Sn/CNTs. The weak ferromagnetism was found to be helpful in improving magnetic permeability in the Sn/CNTs which confirms its role as a magnetic loss material under incident electromagnetic wave. Sn-filled CNTs revealed an appropriate value of dielectric constant, which plays an important role in impedance matching upon incident electromagnetic wave. The composite of Sn-CNTs and paraffin with a 50 wt % loading showed the lowest reflection loss (RL) of ?43.87 dB at 10 GHz, with a wide effective absorption band (RL ≤ ?10 dB) of 3 GHz in thickness of 2.3 mm. This enhanced performance is attributed to the combined effect of the conduction loss in one-dimensional core-shell architecture, the interfacial loss Sn-CNT interface, the magnetic loss due to defects-induced ferromagnetism in Sn shell, and in the carbon-containing atomic layers of CNTs.     

Enhanced electromagnetic absorption properties of Fe-doped Sc2Si2O7 ceramics

Doping transition metal elements in a crystal causes distortion and defects in the lattice structure, which change the electronic structure and magnetic moment, thereby adjusting the electrical conductivity and electromagnetic properties of the material. Fe-doped Sc₂Si₂O₇ ceramics were synthesized using the sol-gel method for application to microwave absorption. The effect of Fe-doped content on the electromagnetic (EM) and microwave absorption properties was investigated in the Ku-band (12.4–18 GHz). As expected, the dielectric and magnetic properties improve substantially with increasing Fe content. Fe doping causes defects and impurity levels, which enhance polarization loss and conductance loss, respectively. Fe replaces Sc atoms in the ScO₆ octahedral structure, creating a difference in spin magnetic moments, which increases the magnetic moment. Moreover, the magnetic coupling of Fe and O atoms occurs at the Fermi level, which benefits magnetic loss. In particular, when the Fe content is 6%, the fabricated Fe-doped Sc₂Si₂O₇ ceramics show an absorption property with absorption peaks located at 14.5 GHz and a minimum reflection loss (RL_min) of ?12.8 dB. Therefore, Fe-doped Sc₂Si₂O₇ ceramics with anti-oxidation and good microwave absorption performance have a greater potential for application in high-temperature and water-vapor environments.     

Ultralight polymer-derived ceramic aerogels with wide bandwidth and effective electromagnetic absorption properties

In this work, ultralight polymer-derived ceramic aerogels (PDCA) were prepared by a facile method of hydrosilylation crosslink and freeze drying. The electromagnetic absorption properties of ultralight PDCA were investigated for the first time. The PDCA pyrolyzed at 1000 °C shows a uniform three-dimensional (3D) framework with a low bulk density of ∼0.19 g/cm³ and high surface area of 134.48 m²/g. The electromagnetic properties of PDCA were characterized by a vector network analyzer. The minimum reflection and absorption bandwidth of PDCA pyrolyzed at 1000 °C, 1200 °C and 1400 °C are −43.37 dB @ 7.6 GHz, −42.01 dB@12.5 GHz, and −31.69 dB@17.3 GHz and 3.8 GHz, 6.6 GHz and 4.2 GHz, respectively, at the frequency range of 2–18 GHz. The strong electromagnetic absorption and wide bandwidth features of PDCA could be attributed to the multiple reflections of microwaves in the 3D framework, as well as the high dielectric loss and proper conductivity.     

Core-shell MXene/nitrogen-doped C heterostructure for wide-band electromagnetic wave absorption at thin thickness

MXenes have been utilized to fabricate electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbers owning to large aspect ratio, high electronic conductivity, and favorable hydrophilicity. In this work, the core-shell MXene/nitrogen-doped (N-doped) C heterostructure was firstly prepared via HCl and LiF etching, in-situ polymerization, and carbonization. When mixed with paraffin at a low filler loading of 30 wt%, the MXene/N-doped C hybrid reached a wide effective absorption bandwidth of 5.0 GHz (13.0 GHz–18.0 GHz) at a thin thickness of 1.72 mm. The stronger ability of attenuating EMWs promoted the absorption performance of MXene/N-doped C, overcoming the deficiency in the characteristics of impedance compared with its counterparts. This work provides a new insight in manufacturing MXene-based absorbers to alleviate EMW pollution by delicate structural design and effective multi-component strategy.     

Dielectric permittivity and microwave absorption properties of transition metal Ni and Mn doped SiC nanowires

In order to enhance the microwave absorption properties of SiC nanowires, two transition metals Ni and Mn were selected as doping elements to improve their electromagnetic parameters. The experimental results indicate that Ni and Mn as catalysts reduce the stacking defect density of SiC nanowires, which will weaken the interfacial polarization loss induced by stacking defects. However, they can increase the electrical conductivity of SiC nanowires and generate new impurity defects, thereby effectively improving the conductance loss and dipole polarization loss. Therefore, the dielectric loss of SiC nanowires is significantly enhanced, but they still do not have considerable magnetic loss capability. In addition, Ni and Mn doping also improves the impedance matching characteristics of SiC nanowires. Therefore, the microwave absorption ability of SiC nanowires is effectively enhanced. As the nanowire filling ratio is 20 wt%, the minimum reflection loss of the Ni_0.01Si_0.99C nanowire is −11.1 dB and the effective absorption bandwidth is 1.1 GHz (9.3–12.4 GHz) at a thickness of 2.8 mm; Mn_0.01Si_0.99C nanowires have a minimum reflection loss of −16.8 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 3.1 GHz (9.3–12.4 GHz) at a thickness of 2.8 mm.     

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.     

Ultralight,tunable monolithic SiC aerogel for electromagnetic absorption with broad absorption band

SiC aerogel is a novel candidate for electromagnetic absorption (EMA) materials in extreme environments because of its ceramic nature and aerogel morphology. In this study, graphene oxide (GO), which having has been generally serving served as a “brick” in the material community, was used as a building block to prepare SiC aerogel precursors and further develop a novel and designable route for preparing SiC aerogel for EMA. The experimental results suggested that the GO aerogel was well converted into a SiC aerogel with ultra-low density (<4 mg cm^?3). The synthesized SiC aerogel inherited the precursor well in structure while having a wide absorption band (approximately 5.5GHz) and a high absorption frequency-to-thickness correlation different from traditional SiC aerogels. The above idea for designing and assembling SiC aerogels will significantly broaden the practical applications of GO and SiC in EMA, supercapacitors and sensors.     

Optimization of microwave absorption properties of C/NiP microfiber composites

Core-shell C/NiP microfiber composites were fabricated via electroless plating in this work. Their microstructure and electromagnetic properties were adjusted by annealing treatment and different phosphorus (P) content in the NiP coating. The C/NiP microfibers composites with 6 wt % P content in the NiP coating annealed at 300 °C remarkably owns ?46.7 dB strong reflection loss at 10.0 GHz with the thickness of 2.0 mm, and the effective bandwidth (RL ≤ ?10 dB) reaches 8.1 GHz (3.1–11.2 GHz). This work shows that the annealing conditions and different P concentrations in the coating layers for C/NiP microfibers composites are the effective way to optimize the electromagnetic wave absorption performance.     

SiC network reinforced SiO2 aerogel with improved compressive strength and preeminent microwave absorption at elevated temperatures

Improved compressive strength and preeminent microwave absorbing properties are of great importance to meet the harsh requirements of the thermal environment. Herein, the SiC network reinforced SiO₂ aerogel composites were synthesized via the carbonation, chemical vapor deposition, and sol-gel process using melamine sponge as the precursor and carbon foam as the structural template, followed by a heat treatment in the elevated temperature range of 300–1200 °C. The results showed that the compressive performance was significantly enhanced as a superior compressive response of 3.46 MPa at 9.49 % strain was obtained owning to the strengthened SiC skeleton wrapped by the SiO₂ aerogel with the rising temperature. Besides, the composite after being warmed at 900 °C was provided with an efficient electromagnetic absorption capacity with a minimum reflection loss value of −55.38 dB at 16.56 GHz and a maximum effective frequency bandwidth of 8.16 GHz at 4.10 mm, resulting from the optimal attenuation constant as well as superior impedance matching ratio. Given the outstanding compressive strength and microwave absorbing characteristics, the aerogel composite has a good prospect in the complex electromagnetic fields.     

Electromagnetic wave absorbing properties of In–Sn/rGO composites supported by impurity defect

With the fast development of E-communication technology, effective electromagnetic wave absorbing materials are highly needed to address the growing electromagnetic pollution. Herein, Indium doped tin microsphere/reduced graphene oxide (In–Sn/rGO) composites with rich impurity defects were synthesized via the sol-gel and hydrothermal method. The excellent microwave absorption of In–Sn/rGO composites can be attributed to the modifications of electronics status and Fermi energy level after In doping. This can significantly increase the carrier mobility between In–Sn microspheres and rGO sheets to strike a superior interfacial polarization loss. As a result, the maximum absorptivity can reach ?51.16 dB at 8.73 GHz (thickness: 3.5 mm) with a lower filler loading of 10 wt%. Meanwhile, the synthesized In–Sn/rGO composites also exhibit an ultra-wide absorbing frequency range of 13.84 GHz (within the X band, Ku band, and most of the C band). This research provides a new idea for the synthesis of effective microwave absorbing material by introducing impurity defects.     

Synthesis, Characterization, and Microwave Absorption Property of the SnO2 Nanowire/Paraffin Composites

In this article, SnO₂ nanowires (NWs) have been prepared and their microwave absorption properties have been investigated in detail. Complex permittivity and permeability of the SnO₂ NWs/paraffin composites have been measured in a frequency range of 0.1–18 GHz, and the measured results are compared with that calculated from effective medium theory. The value of maximum reflection loss for the composites with 20 vol.% SnO₂ NWs is approximately −32.5 dB at 14 GHz with a thickness of 5.0 mm.     

Enhanced electromagnetic microwave absorption of Fe/C/SiCN composite ceramics targeting in integrated structure and function

The Fe/C/SiCN composite ceramics were synthesized by polymer-derived method to obtain the integration of structure and functions. The electromagnetic waves (EMW) absorption properties at X and Ku bands were investigated. The addition of nano-sized Fe particles improved the magnetic loss and impedance matching, and the carbon nanotubes generated by the iron in-situ catalysis increased the internal relaxation polarization and interfacial polarization, which together improved the EMW absorption properties significantly. In particular, the Fe/C/SiCN-9 showed the optimum reflection loss (RL) of ?31.06 dB at 10.03 GHz with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL < ?10 dB) of 3.03 GHz at 2.51 mm, indicating the excellent EMW absorption properties of Fe/C/SiCN composite ceramics.     

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.