Facile synthesis of MOF-derived concave cube nanocomposite by self-templated toward lightweight and wideband microwave absorption

The green and facile strategy of producing high efficiency microwave absorption materials (MAMs) has attracted wide attention, but remains a challenge. In this work, polydopamine (PDA) was used as carbon source and nitrogen source, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used as protective layer and dispersant, and nanoparticles with concave cube morphology were prepared by self-template eco-friendly method. By adjusting the addition amount of PDA and PVP, the MOF derived materials with three morphologies of pure ZIF-67 nanoparticles, core-shell adhesion cube and concave cube can be precisely controlled. Compared with the other two kinds of absorbers, the sample with concave cube morphology shows excellent electromagnetic wave absorption (EMA) performance. Furthermore, the excellent EMA performance comes from the efficient electron transport channel with unique concave cube morphology, multi-interface polarization process and Co nanoparticles high impedance matching. The analysis demonstrates that when the filling ratio of the concave cube sample is 15%, its effective absorption bandwidth is 5.97 GHz, which can basically cover the Ku band (12.0–18.0 GHz), and the corresponding thickness is 1.88 mm. Our research provides a meritorious approach for the design and preparation of high efficiency MAMs by considering the effects of the morphology and filling ratio of the absorber comprehensively.