Microwave Absorption of α-Fe2O3@diatomite Composites

N-doped carbon layer cladded carbon sphere for broadband and boosted microwave attenuation capacity

Structural construction and heteroatom doping are deemed effective strategies for designing a high-performance microwave absorbing composite to eliminate electromagnetic hazards. Herein, a series of core-shell structural carbon@N-doped carbon (C@NC) nanospheres were successfully fabricated without employing additional modifying agents and sophisticated operation. After incorporating them into a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix, the C@NC/PVDF composites possess tunable wave attenuation capacity obtained by regulating the coating layer thickness and filler loading. Benefitting from the design strategy of the core-shell structure and N-doped C, the C@NC-2/PVDF composites displayed the broadest effective absorption bandwidth of 6.29 GHz (11.71-18 GHz) under a filler content of only 10 wt% at 2.01 mm. Additionally, the minimum reflection loss value of C@NC-3/PVDF composites achieves -62.87 dB within the same mass ratio at a thickness of 2.35 mm. The excellent wave dissipation ability is attributed to the combination of optimized impedance matching and synergistically enhanced multiple loss mechanisms including conduction loss, interfacial polarization as well as dipolar polarization. This work offers a ponderable paradigm for the deeper exploitation of high-efficiency carbon absorbers.

One-step sintering construction of electromagnetic synergistic Co7Fe3/Co@CBC nanocomposites for enhanced microwave absorption properties

Based on the synergistic modulation of electromagnetic parameters and microstructure design, multidimensional porous magnetic carbon-based nanocomposites have become ideal materials with efficient absorption properties. What's more, a carbon-magnetic alloy composite is a commonly used and efficient microwave absorber. In this paper, Co7Fe3/Co@CBC (CFCC) nanocomposites with strong magnetism, a three-phase composition, and a three-dimensional porous structure were synthesized by reducing Fe2+ and Co2+ using chestnut-shell biomass carbon (CBC). Biomass carbon with a higher specific surface area provides numerous active sites for Co7Fe3 nanosheets and Co nanospheres to form three-dimensional ping-pong chrysanthemum-like nanocomposites, which generate rich heterogeneous interfaces and conductive network structures. By adjusting the amount of added biomass, the electromagnetic parameters can be effectively regulated to achieve efficient microwave absorption properties. When the amount of biomass added varies within the range of 1.0 to 2.5 g, all samples exhibit a favorable effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of over 5.88 GHz. In particular, the CFCC-2.0 composite exhibits optimal microwave absorption properties, with a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of -59.25 dB and an EAB of 6.34 GHz at a thickness of 2.8 mm. The simulation and modeling analysis results of radar cross section (RCS) further confirm the exceptional attenuation capability of composite materials at multiple incident angles. The exceptional microwave absorption properties and stability of EAB for the Co7Fe3/Co@CBC nanocomposite make it a promising candidate in the field of absorbing materials. This work also provides some feasible ideas for designing stable broadband wave-absorbing materials.

p-Phenylenediamine-derived carbon nanodots for probing solvent interactions

Carbon nanodots, the luminescent nanoparticles of carbon with size restriction below 10 nm, have attracted inordinate attention in materials science due to their widespread applications in optoelectronic and biological fields. Low toxicity and facile synthesis pathways render them favourites in the above-mentioned areas in the context of green chemistry. This work presents fine applications of p-phenylenediamine-derived carbon nanodots (PD-CNDs) achieved via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. Adequate characterization using X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic and microscopic studies confirmed spherical particles with an average particle size of 2.8 nm, functionalised with amino, carboxyl, and hydroxyl groups. The carbon framework was functionalised with pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogens. Upon 365 nm UV light illumination, an aqueous dispersion of PD-CNDs showed red-orange fluorescence. Detailed spectral analysis using UV-visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy identified edge states and surface groups as luminescent centres, with a significant contribution arising from the latter. The investigation conducted using a collection of solvents, categorized into polar and nonpolar, indicated the potential of the system for applications based on its solvatochromic nature. The feature enabled the determination of different polarity parameters of the solvents, as well as dielectric constants of solvents and solvent mixtures, with considerable accuracy. The system was potent for predicting the composition of a given pair of solvents. The service of the system is also extended for moisture sensing in organic solvents within an error percentage < 1. High quantum yield values (0.61) combined with solvent composition-dependent optical features ensure broader applications of the system to probe solvent interactions.

Dielectric and Magnetic Composites of Fe3O4@APNs for Superior Microwave Thermal Effect

As for the deep tissue infections of chronic osteomyelitis, antibiotics are hard to deliver into the infected bone tissue, which makes it difficult to be cured completely in clinic. Microwave has strong penetration, and the medium can produce a good bactericidal effect through the microwave thermal effect (MTE). Here, a new microwave sensitizer (Fe3O4@APNs) was prepared and evaluated. Black phosphorus nanosheets modified with phytic acid dodecasodium (APNs) were fabricated by a liquid-phase exfoliation method that exhibited good water oxygen stability. A complex with Fe3O4 compound and APNs (Fe3O4@APNs) was formed by an ultrasonic mixing process, which showed excellent MTE (quickly increased to 53.5 °C in 5 min at 2.45 GHz, 10 W/cm2) via dielectric versus magnetic loss (reflect loss value of -5.94 dB at 2.45 GHz). The Fe3O4@APNs microwave sensitizer developed in this study has an outstanding in vitro antibacterial effect and might show promise for the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis enabled by local tissue heating via the MTE.

Three-dimensional biotemplate-loaded nickel sulfide vacancies engineered to promote the absorption of electromagnetic waves

Vacancy engineering offers an appealing strategy for modifying the electronic structure of transition metals. Transition metals with abundant sulfur vacancies can significantly contribute to the microwave absorption capabilities of absorbers. In this study, an NixSy@De composite material was synthesized through a straightforward hydrothermal synthesis technique. The effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of this composite material reached 9.86 GHz at 1.44 mm. A minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -33.61 dB at 1 mm was achieved, and after mild etching, the RLmin further improved to -93.53 dB at 1.16 mm to achieve a high-attenuation microwave absorption. The exceptional performance of NixSy@De for the absorption of electromagnetic waves (EMWs) is based on its high dielectric loss, substantial magnetic loss, and excellent impedance matching. This work combines transition metal sulfides with three-dimensional biotemplated diatomite, providing valuable insights into the design of advanced EMW absorbing materials.

High-Entropy Spinel Ferrites with Broadband Wave Absorption Synthesized by Simple Solid-Phase Reaction

In this work, high-entropy (HE) spinel ferrites of (FeCoNiCrM)_xO_y (M = Zn, Cu, and Mn) (named as HEO-Zn, HEO-Cu, and HEO-Mn, respectively) were synthesized by a simple solid-phase reaction. The as-prepared ferrite powders possess a uniform distribution of chemical components and homogeneous three-dimensional (3D) porous structures, which have a pore size ranging from tens to hundreds of nanometers. All three HE spinel ferrites exhibited ultrahigh structural thermostability at high temperatures even up to 800 °C. What is more, these spinel ferrites showed considerable minimum reflection loss (RL_min) and significantly enhanced effective absorption bandwidth (EAB). The RL_min and EAB values of HEO-Zn and HEO-Mn are about -27.8 dB at 15.7 GHz, 6.8 GHz, and -25.5 dB at 12.9 GHz, 6.9 GHz, with the matched thickness of 8.6 and 9.8 mm, respectively. Especially, the RL_min of HEO-Cu is -27.3 dB at 13.3 GHz with a matched thickness of 9.1 mm, and the EAB reaches about 7.5 GHz (10.5-18.0 GHz), which covers almost the whole X-band range. The superior absorbing properties are mainly attributed to the dielectric energy loss involving interface polarization and dipolar polarization, the magnetic energy loss referring to eddy current and natural resonance loss, and the specific functions of 3D porous structure, indicating a potential application prospect of the HE spinel ferrites as EM absorbing materials.

Fe2O3/diatomite materials as efficient photo-Fenton catalysts for ciprofloxacin removal

In this study, we used Fe₂O₃/diatomite material system toward ciprofloxacin (CIP) photo-Fenton removal in water under visible light (vis) excitation. The characterization of Fe₂O₃/diatomite catalysts was determined by X-ray diffraction patterns, Fourier-transform infrared analysis, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy. The photo-Fenton catalytic activity of the Fe₂O₃/diatomite was appraised by the removal efficiency of the CIP throughout the effect of the H₂O₂ with various parameters such as initial pH, catalyst amount, and H₂O₂ amount. The results indicate that 0.2 gL^-1 Fe₂O₃/diatomite catalysts achieved the highest performance at approximately 90.03% with a 50 μL H₂O₂ concentration. Furthermore, the Fe₂O₃/diatomite catalysts have high stability, with over 80% CIP removed after five cycles. This study is inspired to develop a potential material for photo-Fenton degradation of antibiotics in wastewater.