Boosted interfacial charge dynamics on the SnO2/SnS2 heterointerface by gradient sulfur diffusion for microwave absorption and electric–thermal conversion

The engineering of heterogeneous interfaces is an effective way to develop high-performance electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials. In this work, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to predict the SnO2/SnS2 heterointerface effect for boosting electromagnetic wave loss. Then a method for constructing SnO2/SnS2 heterostructures by modulating the SnO2 precursor on carbon cloth (CC) with controlled sulfurization is proposed. Benefiting from the introduction of SnO2/SnS2 heterostructures, the S-2 absorber achieves a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −50.9 dB and maximum EAB up to 4.18 GHz with a matching thickness of 5.0 mm and 1.5 mm. Moreover, the materials also exhibit strong hydrophobicity and high electrical conductivity, giving them potential applications such as self-cleaning, and good electrical and thermal properties. This study provides an insight into the mechanism of heterogeneous interfaces for enhancing the attenuation capability of EMW and opens avenues for developing high-performance absorbers.