Broadband high-performance microwave absorption of the single-layer Ti3C2T MXene

MXenes, a family of two-dimensional (2D) materials, exhibit peculiar microwave-absorbing behaviors due to their unique chemical composition and structure. Although laminated Ti3C2Tx MXenes with a multi-layer structure have been used for microwave absorption, real 2D MXenes with a single-layer structure have not yet been investigated. Here, the electromagnetic wave response behavior of single-layer Ti3C2Tx MXenes was explored in detail. The permittivity of Ti3C2Tx MXene rises dramatically with an increase in filler loading, and Ti3C2Tx MXene features a distinct dielectric response wherein dipolar polarization and interfacial polarization makes a greater contribution at low filler loading; conductive loss becomes more prominent at high filler loading. Versus laminated Ti3C2Tx MXene, single-layer Ti3C2Tx MXene delivers superior absorbing capability: The RLmin value of SL-Ti3C2Tx-22% reaches −43.5 dB at 6.5 GHz, and a broad EAB of 6.88 GHz can be attained at a thickness of 1.8 mm due to enhanced dipolar polarization, interfacial polarization, and conductive loss. This work is of great significance in guiding the future development of MXene-based absorbers.