• Nano-Micro Letters
  • Vol. 15, Issue 1, 194 (2023)
Fushuo Wu1, Peiying Hu1, Feiyue Hu1, Zhihua Tian1, Jingwen Tang1, Peigen Zhang1、*, Long Pan1, Michel W. Barsoum2, Longzhu Cai3, and ZhengMing Sun1、**
Author Affiliations
  • 1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, People’s Republic of China
  • 2Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
  • 3The State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves, School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, People’s Republic of China
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    DOI: 10.1007/s40820-023-01158-7 Cite this Article
    Fushuo Wu, Peiying Hu, Feiyue Hu, Zhihua Tian, Jingwen Tang, Peigen Zhang, Long Pan, Michel W. Barsoum, Longzhu Cai, ZhengMing Sun. Multifunctional MXene/C Aerogels for Enhanced Microwave Absorption and Thermal Insulation[J]. Nano-Micro Letters, 2023, 15(1): 194 Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    Two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXene) have emerged as promising candidates for microwave absorption (MA) materials. However, they also have some drawbacks, such as poor impedance matching, high self-stacking tendency, and high density. To tackle these challenges, MXene nanosheets were incorporated into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers and subsequently assembled into a three-dimensional (3D) network structure through PAN carbonization, yielding MXene/C aerogels. The 3D network effectively extends the path of microcurrent transmission, leading to enhanced conductive loss of electromagnetic (EM) waves. Moreover, the aerogel’s rich pore structure significantly improves the impedance matching while effectively reducing the density of the MXene-based absorbers. EM parameter analysis shows that the MXene/C aerogels exhibit a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of - 53.02 dB (f = 4.44 GHz, t = 3.8 mm), and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.3 GHz (t = 2.4 mm, 7.44–12.72 GHz). Radar cross-sectional (RCS) simulations were employed to assess the radar stealth effect of the aerogels, revealing that the maximum RCS reduction value of the perfect electric conductor covered by the MXene/C aerogel reaches 12.02 dB m2. In addition to the MA performance, the MXene/C aerogel also demonstrates good thermal insulation performance, and a 5-mm-thick aerogel can generate a temperature gradient of over 30 °C at 82 °C. This study provides a feasible design approach for creating lightweight, efficient, and multifunctional MXene-based MA materials.
    Fushuo Wu, Peiying Hu, Feiyue Hu, Zhihua Tian, Jingwen Tang, Peigen Zhang, Long Pan, Michel W. Barsoum, Longzhu Cai, ZhengMing Sun. Multifunctional MXene/C Aerogels for Enhanced Microwave Absorption and Thermal Insulation[J]. Nano-Micro Letters, 2023, 15(1): 194
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