Customized unique core-shell Fe2N@N-doped carbon with tunable void space for microwave response

Abstract Here, we report a unique core-shell nanocomposite of Fe2N@N-doped carbon that coats dopamine-derived carbon shells on porous Fe2N nanoparticles via a facile and effective soft chemical method. The feasibility of preparing core-shell structure in the process of polymerization is realized by utilizing the fact that affluent amino and hydroxyl groups in dopamine endow the formidable chelation ability with metal ions. Temperature-dependent volume shrinkage effect of Fe2N originates from the lattice transformation in nitridation process, which is the key factor to control the void space inside carbon nanocubes and optimize the electromagnetic performance. Consequently, the as-prepared samples achieve excellent reflection loss (RL) values and effective absorption bandwidth at an even thin thickness of 1.4 mm. The balance between the temperature-dependent conduction loss and the optimization of hole structure impedance matching may be responsible for the excellent microwave behaviors. This work offers an attractive core-shell Fe2N@carbon with controllable void space as a promising candidate to handle the electromagnetic interface (EMI) issues.