High-attenuation and broadband microwave absorption of robust and thermally stable SiOC ceramic aerogels derived from interpenetrating silicone double network structure
AQ Yan and GX Li and Z Su and L Li and Y Luo and H Tian and Y Cao and YY Zhang and B Niu and DH Long, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL, 514, 163274 (2025).
DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2025.163274
Polymer-derived SiOC (PD-SiOC) ceramic aerogels (CA) are widely
recognized as ideal electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbers; however,
achieving high-attenuation microwave absorption and gaining an in-depth
understanding of dielectric loss mechanisms remain challenging. Herein,
a robust and thermally stable PD-SiOC CA was synthesized by pyrolyzing a
silicone aerogel with an interpenetrating double network structure,
which exhibited EMW attenuation performance. Notably, the
interpenetrating double network structure containing both a carbon-rich
and a silica-rich framework, facilitates the formation of numerous
SiO2-C heterogeneous interfaces, enhancing dielectric polarization and
improving impedance matching. The highly porous structure of CAs
(porosity > 49 %) enhances macroscopic interfacial polarization and
multiple scattering, further attenuating EMW energy. As a result,
CA-1400 demonstrates exceptionally high attenuation, with a reflection
loss of -73.8 dB (>99.99999 % absorption) at 8.01 GHz and a thickness of
4.28 mm, along with a wide effective absorption bandwidth of 6.72 GHz at
thickness of 2.71 mm. Additionally, CAs exhibit lightweight
characteristics with a density ranging from 0.66 to 1.21 g/cm(3),
excellent mechanical properties with compressive strengths ranging from
9.0 to 56.9 MPa, outstanding oxidation resistance, and superior thermal
insulation with thermal conductivities ranging from 0.226 to 0.358
W
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