Facile growth of coaxial Ag@polypyrrole nanowires for highly tunable electromagnetic waves absorption

Electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) materials with core-shell nanostructure not only combine the features of each component but also furnish distinct interfacial effect. In this study, we develop a facile method for the construction of coaxial Ag@polypyrrole (PPy) nanowires by a controlling growth strategy. The thickness of PPy film can be gradually adjusted, leading to highly tunable EWA properties. The excellent EWA performance of Ag@PPy in the frequency range of 2-18 GHz is attributed to its appropriate electrical conductivity, high aspect ratio as well as improved impedance. In addition, we adopt an interfacial model to illustrate the enhanced attenuation mechanism of electromagnetic waves. It opens up rational design of hetero interface with stable dipoles for high-performance EWA materials. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.