Construction of SiCNWS@NiCo2O4@PANI 1D hierarchical nanocomposites toward high-efficiency microwave absorption

• A hierarchical nanocomposites composed of SiC nanowires, NiCo 2 O 4 nanosheets, and PANI layer have been constructed. • As a lightweight absorber, the optimal product achieves RL min of −53.74 dB at 1.96 mm and EAB of 4.16 GHz at 1.18 mm. • A reasonable attenuation mechanism combined the morphology character and peculiar heterostructure was proposed. Developing a novel electromagnetic wave absorbing material with excellent absorption properties is an optimal solution to deal with increasingly serious electromagnetic radiation and pollution. Herein, the SiC NWS @NiCo 2 O 4 @PANI one dimensional (1D) hierarchical nanocomposites were successfully prepared through modifying NiCo 2 O 4 nanosheets and PANI coatings on the surface of the as-prepared SiC nanowires. Under the synergistic contribution of the peculiar hierarchical microstructure, diverse components and heterogeneous interface, the dipole polarization and polarization relaxation of the SiC NWS @NiCo 2 O 4 @PANI 1D hierarchical nanocomposites were enhanced greatly, which aroused stronger attenuation capacity and better impedance matching, and further obtained high-efficiency electromagnetic wave absorption properties. The minimum reflection loss value of −53.74 dB was achieved at a matching thickness of 1.96 mm, meanwhile, the widest effective absorption band of 4.16 GHz was measured at an ultra-thin matching thickness of 1.18 mm, suggesting that the nanocomposites could be an attractive candidate electromagnetic wave absorbing material. According to systematic characterization, a reasonable electromagnetic wave loss mechanism was proposed to elucidate the attenuation modes of the incident electromagnetic wave.