Modified MXene Aerogel With Broadband Microwave Absorption Inspired by Melanophila Acuminata Beetle

The rapid development of wireless technologies has led to significant electromagnetic interference (EMI), which can damage sensitive electronic equipment and cause potential biological safety issues. Conventional electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials are often hindered by a series of complicated limitations, including high density, poor impedance matching, and narrow absorption bandwidths, which limit their use in advanced applications. To overcome these challenges, this work introduces a novel biomimetic strategy inspired by the infrared-sensing sensilla of the Melanophila acuminata beetle. We have designed a multi-level aerogel, featuring a three-dimensional carbon framework decorated with synergistic CeO₂ nanoparticles and Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheets. This design creates abundant heterogeneous interfaces and absorption paths and utilizes complementary loss mechanisms to achieve outstanding performance, validated by theoretical analysis. The resulting aerogel achieves a record-breaking effective absorption bandwidth of 9.43 GHz with only 3.74 wt.% filler loading, establishing a new benchmark for lightweight, broadband electromagnetic absorption. This work presents a promising design paradigm for developing advanced EMW absorbing materials with significant potential for next-generation stealth technologies and EMI shielding.