Application of MOF derived porous carbon to regulate electromagnetic wave absorption performance and mechanism of ZnFe2O4@ZnO

The incorporation of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and subsequent high-temperature treatment to form derived carbon composite materials represents a promising research direction for tuning the electromagnetic wave absorption performance of composite materials. In this study, ZnFe2O4@Zn-MOF was synthesized using sol-gel and in-situ growth methods, and a tunable carbon content porous ZnFe2O4@ZnO/C composite material was prepared by varying the heat treatment temperature under an Ar atmosphere. The formation of MOF derived carbon enhanced the dielectric loss capability of the material, thereby optimizing the impedance matching of the composite and improving its electromagnetic wave attenuation capacity, ultimately leading to improved absorbing performance. The ZnFe2O4@ZnO/C composite material treated at 800 °C exhibited the most outstanding absorption performance, achieving a reflection loss of −50.89 dB at a frequency of 11.8 GHz and an effective absorption bandwidth of 3.588 GHz with a thickness of 1.6 mm, demonstrating excellent electromagnetic wave absorption capability.