Fabrication and Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Performance of MXene/Magnetic Carbon Nanotube Composite Aerogels

doi:10.15541/jim20260155

Abstract

Abstract: With the rapid development of electronic information technology and wireless communications, lightweight, efficient, and stable electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption materials have attracted significant attention. However, existing EM wave absorbers still face challenges such as the difficulty in simultaneously optimizing impedance matching and loss capabilities, insufficient structural stability, and limited multifunctional integration. Herein, a multidimensional hybrid aerogel composed of fish-scale gelatin (FSG), Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheets, and magnetic carbon nanotubes (Ni@CNT) was constructed via electrostatic assembly and directional freeze-drying method. The prepared aerogel exhibits a lightweight, layered porous architecture, with MXene and Ni@CNT uniformly dispersed within its framework, thereby constructing a multidimensional conductive and polarizable structure through the synergistic interaction of 0D, 1D, and 2D electromagnetic components. By adjusting the MXene content, the conductive network is gradually refined, achieving an optimal balance between impedance matching and electromagnetic loss, thereby enhancing the wave absorption performance. As a result, the optimized sample achieves a minimum reflection loss of -43.69 dB and a broad effective absorption bandwidth of 7.6 GHz at a thickness of 01.6 mm. Mechanism analysis reveals that the enhanced absorption originates from the synergistic effects of conductive loss, interfacial polarization, and magnetic loss, together with improved impedance matching. Meanwhile, the hierarchical porous structure promotes multiple reflection and scattering, further enhancing electromagnetic energy dissipation. In addition, the aerogel exhibits excellent mechanical resilience and thermal insulation, which maintains stable electromagnetic performance even after multiple compression cycles and effectively retards heat transfer within the covered area. This work provides an effective strategy for designing lightweight, broadband, and mechanically robust electromagnetic wave-absorbing materials based on multidimensional conductive networks.

Key words: MXene, magnetic carbon nanotube, aerogel, multidimensional conductive network, electromagnetic wave absorption performance

CLC Number:

TB333

LI Jun, LIU Ruolin, ZHONG Jingyi, YANG Yang, LU Wei. Fabrication and Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Performance of MXene/Magnetic Carbon Nanotube Composite Aerogels[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, DOI: 10.15541/jim20260155.

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