Polyaniline-based networks combined with Fe3O4 hollow spheres and carbon balls for excellent electromagnetic wave absorption

Abstract Polyaniline (PANI)-based networks combined with Fe3O4 hollow spheres and carbon balls (FCP) for improved electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption were investigated using an easy-to-industrialize solvothermal and physical method. Hollow structure Fe3O4 spheres with a lower density than that of the common solid sphere were prepared. As a thin and light magnetic material, Fe3O4 hollow spheres generate magnetic loss, carbon balls and PANI networks generate dielectric loss. The magnetic and conductive parts play appropriate roles in achieving complementarity in the EMW absorption. The relatively high specific surface area introduced by PANI networks promotes interfacial polarization and further supports dielectric loss. In conclusion, the above reasons provide multiple attenuation mechanisms. Samples FCP1 (−65.109 dB, at 12.800 GHz, 1.966 mm, from 5.6 to 18.0 GHz) and FCP2 (−61.033 dB, at 8.480 GHz, 3.328 mm, from 4.3 to 18.0 GHz) demonstrated a wide bandwidth, small thickness, minimum reflection loss (RL) value, and a low loading ratio (25%) in paraffin-based composites. Specifically, their loading ration of 25% is much lower than the loading ratio of conventional materials (usually 50% and above). In addition, the bandwidth is excessively wide, above 12 GHz, possessing good absorption performance in continuous intervals with different thicknesses. Such excellent characteristics have rarely been reported in literature.