Construction of Co@C nanocapsules by one-step carbon reduction of single-crystal Co3O4 nanoparticles: Ultra-wideband microwave absorber verified via coaxial and arch methods

It is highly demanding and challenging to construct the nano-scale microwave absorber with wide-frequency responding feature. Herein, a series of Co@C nanocapsules (NCs) are fabricated via one-step carbon reduction of Co3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) of only 20 nm obtained by the nitrate pyrolysis method. The electromagnetic parameters of the samples can be effectively regulated by flexibly adjusting the carbon shell thickness. Surprisingly, all samples exhibit ultra-wide microwave absorption (MA) performance investigated by the coaxial method. For the Co@C NCs with a carbon shell of 25 nm, especially, the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) for reflection loss (RL) below -10 dB reaches a record high of 15.2 GHz (2.8-18 GHz), which completely covers the whole C-, X-, and Ku-bands. More excitingly, the absorption bandwidth for RL <= -20 dB is up to 7.1 GHz at only 2.0 mm thickness. Such outstanding MA properties are attributed to nano-size effect, synergistic effects of strong dielectric/magnetic loss, and superior impedance matching characteristics. Notably, the polarization and magnetic coupling behaviors are clarified with the aid of electric field and magnetic field simulations using HighFrequency Structure Simulator (HFSS). The plate coating sample is further prepared and measured by the arch method, which also displays an ultrawide MA bandwidth. This work provides a new design strategy toward the facile synthesis of ultra-broadband microwave absorbers.

Automated summary

A series of Co@C nanocapsules with wide-frequency responding feature and controllable electromagnetic parameters are fabricated via one-step carbon reduction method. The ultra-wide microwave absorption performance is achieved by adjusting the carbon shell thickness, and the outstanding properties are attributed to nano-size effect, synergistic effects of strong dielectric/magnetic loss, and superior impedance matching characteristics.