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Gradient-Nested Organic/Inorganic Aerogels Achieve High Mechanical Strength and Feedback-Tunable Microwave Absorption
Xiao Liu1,2, Zhike Si1,2, Yongxin Qian1,2
1Institute of Electromagnetic Protection Materials and Spectral Innovation Technology, State Key Laboratory of Tropic Ocean Engineering Materials and Materials Evaluation, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan 570228, China.
Researchers developed a novel polyimide aerogel using cellulose and carbon nanocoils for enhanced microwave absorption (MA). This material offers superior mechanical strength and tunable MA performance, addressing limitations of current absorbers.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electromagnetics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Multiband and multimode systems increase electromagnetic interference complexity.
- Existing microwave absorbers face limitations in tuning efficiency and structural resilience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance mechanical strength and microwave absorption (MA) of polyimide (PI) aerogel.
- To resolve filler agglomeration and structural shrinkage issues in aerogels.
Main Methods:
- Developed a nested microaerogel strategy using pomelo-peel-derived cellulose micronetworks and helical carbon nanocoil microaerogels.
- Constructed a gradient-nested framework for improved aerogel structure.
Main Results:
- Achieved a compressive strength of 1.3 MPa (20x higher than pristine PI aerogel).
- Exhibited minimum reflection loss of -50.16 dB and a broad effective absorption bandwidth of 7.44 GHz.
- Demonstrated an ultrawide tunable MA range from 5.6 to 16.4 GHz.
Conclusions:
- The novel aerogel offers low density, impact resistance, and thermal insulation with remarkable MA performance.
- Established a correlation between compression-induced capacitive response and MA performance.
- Highlights potential as intelligent microwave absorbers with sensing and adaptive regulation capabilities.
