Electromagnetic wave absorption properties of N-PyC/Ti3C2Tx hybrids

Ti3C2Tx materials have large specific surface area, high in-layer conductivity, strong conductivity loss and good electromagnetic absorption properties. However, the impedance matching characteristics of Ti3C2Tx still need to be further optimized. Through cross-linking reaction, a poly-dopamine (PDA) protective layer is coated on the surface of Ti3C2Tx, and then, the N-doped pyrolytic carbon (N-PyC)/Ti3C2Tx hybrids are fabricated by heat treatment with the obtained PDA-Ti3C2Tx. The results show that Ti3C2Tx coated with N-PyC layered has a low degree of oxidation and a high dielectric loss, which is attributed to the carbon coating as a protective layer consumes Ti3C2Tx surface functional groups and reduces the O-terminals of Ti3C2Tx produced during the heat treatment process, thereby reducing oxidation. The high conductivity Ti3C2Tx is compounded with the medium loss material N-PyC, which can optimize the impedance matching characteristics. On the flip side defect polarization caused by N atoms in N-PyC is propitious to dissipate electromagnetic waves. Hence, N-PyC/Ti3C2Tx hybrids exhibit good electromagnetic wave absorption properties. When the mass ratio is 21wt% and the thickness is 2.6 mm, the minimum reflection coefficient of N-PyC/Ti3C2Tx is -26.5 dB in X-band.