Ultralight SiCTi/MXene composite aerogel with spider web structure for electromagnetic wave absorption

The rapid advancement of electronic information technology, coupled with the extensive implementation of 5G communication technology, has exacerbated the issue of electromagnetic pollution. Consequently, there is an urgent demand for a wave-absorbing materials that exhibit robust absorption performance, a broad absorption bandwidth, and minimal matching thickness to ameliorate the environmental impact. This study presents the preparation of a novel SiCTi/MXene ceramic aerogel, utilizing SiCTi ceramics as the primary material, polyvinyl alcohol as the C-skeleton, SiCnw and MXene as the reinforcing phase. The synthesis was achieved through the ice template method in conjunction with freeze-drying technique. The resulting composite ceramic aerogel features a biomimetic spider web structure and a layered petal configuration, while simultaneously demonstrating exceptional mechanical properties and electromagnetic absorption capabilities. Notably, when the mass ratio of SiCTi ceramics to MXene is 1:1, the composite ceramic aerogel achieves a minimum reflection of 64.20 dB, indicating an electromagnetic wave absorption efficiency of 99.9999 %. At a thickness of 1.5 mm, the sample exhibits a maximum effective absorption bandwidth of 4.57 GHz, thereby facilitating broadband absorption of electromagnetic waves. The successful synthesis of the SiCTi/MXene composite ceramic aerogel offers valuable insights for the development of new electromagnetic absorbing materials.