The enhanced dielectric property of the graphene composite anchored with non-planar iron single-atoms

The understanding of the relationships between the coordination configuration of single-atoms (SAs) and their properties remains a great challenge. In this manuscript, a facile method is developed to construct Fe-SAs on onion-like nitrogen-doped nanocarbons supported by graphene (ONCG). In contrast to the symmetrical planar Fe-N-4 moieties, the Fe-SAs coordinated with N atoms are located above the plane of the curved graphene and exhibited antenna-like structures. The ONCG with non-planar Fe-N-4 moieties possesses greatly increased dielectric loss property compared to their counterparts with symmetrical planar Fe-SAs. In-depth theoretical calculations reveal that the unique geometric structure of the non-planar Fe-SAs improves both conduction and polarization losses significantly, which is attributed to the increased dielectric property. The increased dielectric property endows Fe-SAs@ONCG with an excellent electromagnetic wave absorption at a low filler ratio of 10 wt. %. Our results describe an efficient way for the development of non-planar SAs for dielectric applications. Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.

Automated summary

The understanding of the relationship between coordination configuration of single-atoms (SAs) and their properties is still a great challenge. In this study, a facile method was developed to construct Fe-SAs on onion-like nitrogen-doped nanocarbons supported by graphene (ONCG). Different from symmetrical planar Fe-N-4 moieties, the Fe-SAs coordinated with N atoms were located above the plane of the curved graphene and exhibited antenna-like structures. The non-planar Fe-SAs possessed greatly increased dielectric loss property compared to their counterparts with symmetrical planar Fe-SAs, due to the improved conduction and polarization losses.