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Published on: December 27, 2012
Multilayer Polyimide/MXene/Ni Aerogels with Controlled Alignment for Broadband Electromagnetic Absorption and
Weihao Xu1, Zixuan Wang1, Menglong Xu1
1Advanced Materials Thrust, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|August 12, 2026
Summary
Lightweight aerogels made from polyimide, MXene, and nickel nanochains offer strong electromagnetic wave attenuation. These materials provide broadband absorption and multifunctional properties for advanced applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Electromagnetics
Background:
- Achieving lightweight, broadband electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbers requires rational coupling of nanoscale material design and macroscopic architecture.
- Existing absorbers often face limitations in balancing performance, weight, and multifunctionality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop multiscale-engineered polyimide (PI)/MXene/Ni aerogels with enhanced EM wave attenuation capabilities.
- To investigate the influence of nanoscale material integration and anisotropic porous architectures on EM absorption performance.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of Ni nanochains via NaOH-assisted hydrazine reduction.
- Fabrication of aerogel architectures (random, parallel, normal) using directional freezing.
- Optimization of tri-layer absorber assemblies using genetic algorithms.
Main Results:
- The normal-aligned PI/MXene/Ni aerogel achieved a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -72.42 dB at 2.8 mm thickness.
- Tri-layer assemblies demonstrated an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 8.4 GHz with RLmin of -61.69 dB.
- Superior absorption resulted from synergistic dielectric-magnetic-structural losses and gradient impedance matching.
Conclusions:
- The multiscale design strategy effectively creates multifunctional, broadband EM absorbers.
- The developed aerogels exhibit excellent EM attenuation, ultralow density, high strength, hydrophobicity, flame retardancy, and low thermal conductivity.
- These materials are suitable for demanding electronic and aerospace applications requiring infrared stealth and thermal protection.
