Sacrificial template synthesis of (V0.8Ti0.1Cr0.1)2AlC and carbon fiber@(V0.8Ti0.1Cr0.1)2AlC microrods for efficient microwave absorption

The morphology of MAX phase powders significantly influences their microwave absorption properties. However, the traditional synthesis via solid-state reactions produces irregular powders, and the preparation of MAX phase powders with specific morphology remains a challenge. Herein, (V 0.8 Ti 0.1 Cr 0.1 ) 2 AlC MAX phase microrods were fabricated for the first time in NaCl/KCl molten salts using vanadium, titanium, chromium, aluminum , and short carbon fibers as precursors. It was found that despite acting as a carbon source, carbon fibers also acted as sacrificial templates. By adjusting the molar ratio of metal powders and short carbon fibers, a series of carbon fiber@(V 0.8 Ti 0.1 Cr 0.1 ) 2 AlC microrods with core-sheath structure were also obtained. Carbon fiber@(V 0.8 Ti 0.1 Cr 0.1 ) 2 AlC microrods with a molar ratio of 8:2 showed the optimum microwave absorption performance. The reflection loss (RL) value reached up to –63.26 dB at 2.40 mm, and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) was about 5.28 GHz with a thickness of 2.02 mm. Based on the electromagnetic parameter analysis and theoretical simulation, the enhanced microwave absorption performance was attributed to the synergistic effect of different factors like dielectric loss, magnetic loss, multiple reflection, and scattering. This work offers a facile route to modulate the morphology of MAX phase powders and may accelerate its application as microwave absorbers.