Customized dielectric-magnetic balance enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption performance in CuxS/CoFe2O4 composites

2D transition metal sulfide compounds (CuxS) have gained much interest in electromagnetic wave absorption. However, the high conductivity of CuxS results in inferior absorption performance. To solve this problem, magnetic component (CoFe2O4) is compounded with CuxS to build the novel electromagnetic wave absorber with extraordinary structures. CoFe2O4 not only contributes to adjusting the electromagnetic parameters, but also enhances the electromagnetic wave attenuation ability and regulates the absorption band. In this work, snowflake-shaped and nanoflower-shaped CuxS/CoFe2O4 composites were successfully fabricated by regulating different metal salts and solvents. Reasonable collocation of dielectric and magnetic components avoids the impedance mismatch, enhancing conduction loss, polarization loss, magnetic loss. The results show that nanoflower-shaped CuS/CoFe2O4 exhibits electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption performance with the min-imum reflection loss (RLmin) of-57.60 dB and the maxima effective absorption band (EABmax) of 4.0 GHz. Further, as the morphology changes to snowflake, the RLmin of Cu2S/CoFe2O4 increases to -66.58 dB, whose EABmax is 6.64 GHz at 2.1 mm, and the main absorption peaks shift to X-band. This work provides a versatile strategy for copper base sulfide on excellent and tunable EMW absorption performance.

Automated summary

Researchers have successfully developed a novel electromagnetic wave absorber with extraordinary structures by compounding a magnetic component (CoFe2O4) with a high conductivity copper-based sulfide compound (CuxS). The new material not only adjusts the electromagnetic parameters, but also enhances the attenuation ability and regulates the absorption band of electromagnetic waves. Snowflake-shaped and nanoflower-shaped CuxS/CoFe2O4 composites were fabricated through the regulation of different metal salts and solvents. This study provides a versatile strategy for achieving excellent and tunable electromagnetic wave absorption performance using copper-based sulfide compounds.