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Cellulose nanofibrils-based hybrid foam generated from Pickering emulsion toward high-performance microwave
Yingying He1, Shuai Li1, Li Zhou1
1Guangxi Key Laboratory of Optical and Electronic Materials and Devices, and School of Material Science and Engineering, College of Material Science & Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004, China.
Carbohydrate Polymers
|January 13, 2021
Summary
Researchers developed a novel foam microwave absorber using Pickering emulsion and freeze-drying. This ultralight material offers excellent electromagnetic wave absorption, photo-thermal conversion, and thermal insulation for complex environments.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Electromagnetics
Background:
- Developing multifunctional microwave absorbers for complex environments is challenging.
- Existing absorbers often lack integrated functionalities like thermal management.
- Need for lightweight, high-performance materials with multiple capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a novel foam-based microwave absorber with enhanced photo-thermal and thermal insulation properties.
- To utilize oil-in-water Pickering emulsion gelation and freeze-drying for material synthesis.
- To investigate the structure-property relationships of the hybrid foam.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized hybrid foam using cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and polylactic acid (PLA) as a 3D skeleton.
- Incorporated carbon nanotubes (CNT) and Fe3O4 nanoparticles for a conductive network.
- Employed Pickering emulsion gelation and freeze-drying techniques.
- Evaluated electromagnetic wave absorption, photo-thermal conversion, and thermal insulation performance.
Main Results:
- Achieved optimal reflection loss of -65.14 dB at 3.0 mm thickness.
- Demonstrated high photo-thermal conversion, reaching 97 °C under 1 Sun irradiation.
- Exhibited superior thermal insulation compared to commercial foams.
- The hybrid foam possesses a conductive network with hetero-interfaces.
Conclusions:
- The developed foam absorber is ultralight and multifunctional.
- The combination of Pickering emulsion gelation and freeze-drying is effective for creating advanced microwave absorbers.
- This approach offers a promising pathway for high-performance materials in diverse applications.
