Ternary layered boride MoAlB: A novel thermo-regulation microwave absorbing ceramic material

In the context of the 5G smart era, the demand for electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials has become increasingly prominent, so it is necessary to explore promising candidate materials. This work focuses on the exploration of material absorbing properties of MoAlB MAB phase system. Firstly, the first-principles calculations were performed to reveal the unique crystal and layered structure of MoAlB ceramics and to predict its potential use as an EMW absorption material. Subsequently, a series of MoAlB ceramics were synthesized at temperatures ranging from 800 °C to 1300 °C, the influence of temperature on the phase compositions and microstructures of the obtained MoAlB ceramics was characterized and analyzed. Finally, the practical EMW absorption performance of the prepared MoAlB ceramics were evaluated in combination of the experiments and the Radar Cross Section calculation. The MoAlB sample synthesized at 900 °C exhibits superior EMW absorption performance, achieving an impressive minimum reflection loss (RL) value of −50.33 dB. The unique layered structure and good electrical conductivity of MoAlB samples are the main reasons for its enhanced wave absorption performance, which provides interfacial polarization and multiple dielectric loss mechanisms. Therefore, this study not only contributes to the understanding the preparation of MoAlB materials but also serves as a potential guidance for their utilization in the realm of electromagnetic wave absorption.