Dielectric properties and electromagnetic simulation of molybdenum disulfide and ferric oxide-modified Ti3C2TX MXene hetero-structure for potential microwave absorption

As newly emerged 2D materials, Ti3C2TX MXene have exhibited great potential to be used as high-performance microwave absorption materials (MAs). In this study, multilayer accordion-like Ti3C2TX MXene coated by molybdenum disulfide (Ti3C2TX@MoS2) and ferric oxide (Ti3C2TX@Fe2O3) were fabricated through hydrothermal method. The dielectric properties of the paraffin wax consisting of 50 wt% Ti3C2TX, Ti3C2TX@MoS2, and Ti3C2TX@Fe2O3 were evaluated in 2–18 GHz, respectively. It is found that Ti3C2TX@MoS2 and Ti3C2TX@Fe2O3 displayed enhanced impedance matching than pure Ti3C2TX. The as-fabricated composites showed great potential for microwave absorption, for sample Ti3C2TX@MoS2 (mass ratio 1:1), which has the largest reflection loss (RL) value of − 60.2 dB at 16.6 GHz. The Ti3C2TX@Fe2O3 achieved optimal RL of − 18.6 dB at 17.4 GHz with thickness of 1.97 mm, and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) achieved 4.3 GHz (13.4–17.7 GHz) corresponding to thickness of 2.25 mm. The attenuation mechanisms were clarified by high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS). The interface polarization and multi-scattering make the dominant contributions for the improved microwave absorption.Graphical abstract