Broadband and strong microwave absorption achieved by trivalent ion-doped ferrite composites with carbon nanotubes
摘要
The development of high-performance microwave absorbers requires a deep understanding of the synergistic effects between cation doping in ferrites and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). To this end, a series of trivalent metal ions (Al3+, Cr3+, Fe3+, Ga3+, In3+)-doped Ni0.6Zn0.4M0.2Fe1.75O4 ferrites and their composites with 7 wt% CNTs were systematically synthesized. Among the pure ferrites, the Ga3+-doped sample showed the best performance (RLmin = − 31.58 dB at 4.3 mm). Critically, the introduction of CNTs substantially enhanced the absorption performance, as evidenced by a broadened effective bandwidth and reduced reflection loss, which ultimately led to a distinct shift in the optimal system. The In3+-doped ferrite/CNT composite emerged as the superior absorber, achieving an RLmin of − 46.83 dB at a thinner thickness of 2.98 mm, markedly outperforming all other composites and the premier single-phase ferrite. This work reveals the distinct roles of various dopants in tuning intrinsic electromagnetic properties and demonstrates that the enhancement via CNTs stems from a balanced dielectric/magnetic loss and optimized impedance matching. The most effective synergy was uniquely realized in the In3+-doped system, highlighting its significant potential as a high-performance microwave-absorbing material.