Self-assembled lightweight three-dimensional hierarchically porous Ti3C2Tx MXene@polyaniline hybrids for superior microwave absorption

The construction of three-dimensional (3D) hierarchically porous nanostructures is an effective micro structural design strategy for the fabrication of lightweight electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials. In this work, 3D hierarchically porous Ti3C2Tx MXene@polyaniline (PANI) hybrids are prepared via a self-assembly process. The as-prepared hybrids possess excellent microwave absorption performance with the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of the optimal Ti3C2Tx MXene@PANI hybrid reaching - 53.79 dB at 12.67 GHz with a thickness of 1.33 mm and a loading amount of 10 wt% in paraffin. The light weight and high-efficiency microwave absorption properties of the hybrids result from their 3D hierarchically porous structure and well-matched impedance characteristics, which provide multiple reflection channels and loss mechanisms for incident EMWs. This strategy offers a rational, simple and practical design approach for high-performance MXene-based EMW absorbers. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.