Fabrication of Hollow Cube Dual-Semiconductor Ln2O3/MnO/C Nanocomposites with Excellent Microwave Absorption Performance

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been verified as ideal precursors for preparing highly effective microwave absorbers. However, it is still challenging to fabricate a thin, lightweight, and well-organized nanostructure with strong microwave absorption (MA) capability and wide absorption bandwidth. In this study, hollow cube dual-semiconductor Ln(2)O(3)/MnO/C (Ln = Nd, Gd, Er) nanocomposites, which are effective microwave absorbers, have been fabricated via one-step high-temperature carbonization of Ln-Mn-MOFs. The effect of band gap on the MA performance of various nanocomposites synthesized at the same carbonization temperature is investigated. Gd2O3/MnO/C-800 shows superior MA capacity with maximum reflection loss (RLmax) of -64.4 dB at 12.8 GHz and 1.86 mm-thickness. When the thickness is 1.44 mm, the RL value is obtained as -52.7 dB at 16.8 GHz, and at a low frequency of 4.36 GHz and thickness of 4.59 mm, the RL value reaches -56.4 dB. Further, the effect of temperature on the MA properties of Gd2O3/MnO/C is examined. The results reveal that Gd2O3/MnO/C-700 has an ultrahigh MA bandwidth of 6.6 GHz, covering the entire Ku bands at 2.09 mm-thickness. Overall, this work demonstrates a facile strategy to construct hollow, homogeneous ternary composites with outstanding MA performance.

Automated summary

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been utilized as precursors for highly effective microwave absorbers, but the challenge remains in fabricating thin, lightweight, well-organized nanostructures with strong microwave absorption capability and wide absorption bandwidth. This study successfully fabricated hollow cube dual-semiconductor Ln(2)O(3)/MnO/C nanocomposites via one-step high-temperature carbonization of Ln-Mn-MOFs, with Gd2O3/MnO/C-800 showing superior microwave absorption capacity. The research also investigated the impact of temperature on the microwave absorption properties of Gd2O3/MnO/C, revealing an ultrahigh bandwidth of 6.6 GHz.