Multifunctional SiC@SiO2 Nanofiber Aerogel with Ultrabroadband Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

Traditional ceramic materials are generally brittle and not flexible with high production costs, which seriously hinders their practical applications. Multifunctional nanofiber ceramic aerogels are highly desirable for applications in extreme environments, however, the integration of multiple functions in their preparation is extremely challenging. To tackle these challenges, we fabricated a multifunctional SiC@SiO2 nanofiber aerogel (SiC@SiO2 NFA) with a three-dimensional (3D) porous cross-linked structure through a simple chemical vapor deposition method and subsequent heat-treatment process. The as-prepared SiC@SiO2 NFA exhibits an ultralow density (similar to 11 mg cm(- 3)), ultra-elastic, fatigue-resistant and refractory performance, high temperature thermal stability, thermal insulation properties, and significant strain-dependent piezoresistive sensing behavior. Furthermore, the SiC@SiO2 NFA shows a superior electromagnetic wave absorption performance with a minimum refection loss (RLmin) value of - 50.36 dB and a maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB(max)) of 8.6 GHz. The successful preparation of this multifunctional aerogel material provides a promising prospect for the design and fabrication of the cutting-edge ceramic materials.

Automated summary

A multifunctional SiC@SiO2 nanofiber aerogel with ultralow density, ultra-elasticity, high temperature resistance, and significant strain-dependent piezoresistive properties was successfully fabricated using chemical vapor deposition and heat treatment methods.