Simple, controllable fabrication and electromagnetic wave absorption properties of hollow Ni nanosphere

Electromagnetic wave (EW) absorption material with light weighted, low addition, high efficiency and wide variable frequency band is a highly concerned topic which needs to be explored. In this study, hollow Ni nanospheres with fascinating EW absorption properties and light-weighted superiority were successfully synthesized using a simple and rapid strategy with controllable structures and compositions. The shell thickness and average diameter of hollow Ni nanosphere were about 360 nm and 30 nm respectively. Moreover, the EW absorption of hollow Ni nanosphere was investigated. The reflection loss of hollow Ni nanospheres was up to − 43.6 dB, and the bandwidth achieved 3.6 GHz at 11 GHz with the thickness of only 2.1 mm. Furthermore, the wide variable frequency microwave absorption was successfully realized by the controllable structure and compositions, and the absorption peak shifted from 2.78 to 12.59 GHz and 14.1–17.66 GHz, covering 83% of the measured frequency range. In summary, it can be demonstrated that hollow Ni sphere is an excellent choice in the field of EW absorbing materials.