Engineered Core–Shell SiC@SiO2 Nanofibers for Enhanced Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Performance

To enable SiC material to achieve high electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption performance, solving its impedance mismatch with EMW is necessary. Therefore, a novel approach is proposed for the precise control of impedance matching by adjusting the shell thickness of SiO₂ nanolayers on the surface of SiC nanofibers (NFs). High-angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) reveals the atomic scale oxidation process of SiC, providing fresh insights into the oxidation mechanism. By oxidizing to construct a heterogeneous core-shell structure nanofiber (NF) can effectively lock the incident EMW inside the NF through the generated charges gathered at the interface, forming an electronic barrier that prevents the outward propagation of EMWs. The produced SiC@SiO₂ NFs-3 exhibits exceptional EMW absorption properties, including an impressive minimum reflection loss (RL_min) of -53.09 dB and a broad maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB_max) of 8.85 GHz. These findings not only deepen understanding of the oxidation mechanism of SiC but also offer valuable insights for further enhancing the EMW absorption capabilities of SiC materials, paving the way for their application in advanced EMW technologies.