Ultra-light MXene/CNTs/PI aerogel with neat arrangement for electromagnetic wave absorption and photothermal conversion

The assembly of Ti3C2Tx MXene into porous three-dimensional (3D) structures is of great significance for the design of MXene-based electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials. However, the construction of aerogels alone is challenging due to the weak interlayer interaction between the MXene nanosheets. In addition, MXene with high conductivity is often detrimental to the dissipation of EMW. Here, we introduce polyimide (PI) as the chemical glue and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the impedance mismatch improvement agent, and construct 3D MXene/CNTs/PI aerogel. By controlling the growth of ice peaks, holes are made on the surface. Due to the excellent impedance matching and special microstructure, MXene/CNTs/PI has a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -50.03 dB@13.7 GHz, and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.6 GHz. Meanwhile, MXene/ CNTs/PI also exhibits significant photothermal conversion performance, which can effectively absorb sunlight and store, convert and utilize it. Therefore, the multifunctional MXene/CNTs/PI has broad application prospects.

Automated summary

This study presents a multifunctional MXene/CNTs/PI aerogel with special microstructure, achieved by introducing polyimide as the chemical glue and carbon nanotubes as the impedance mismatch improvement agent. The aerogel exhibits excellent performance in electromagnetic wave absorption and photothermal conversion, showing promise for various applications.