Bioinspired Disordered Aerogel for Omnidirectional Terahertz Response

MXene/carboxymethyl cellulose aerogels realize excellent shielding effectiveness exceeding 70.32 dB and reflection loss of more than 43.02 dB over the frequency range of 0.3-1.5 THz. Tailoring the structural orientation of anisotropic aerogels functions as a versatile dynamic modulation approach along terahertz propagation direction. The porous structure with moderate conductivity gradually triggers the resonance effect of the cavity, approximating a resonance sphere (pore) and waveguide system (tube). Ultimately, gradient impedance aerogel is proposed integrating THz-infrared stealth, hydrophobicity, and mechanical strength. This inspired biomimetic structural strategy will also enable various terahertz applications such as terahertz imaging, line-of-sight telecommunication, information encryption, and space exploration.