Enhanced microwave absorption properties of flaky MoS₂ powders by decorating with Ni particles

Double-loss absorbers have attracted considerable attention due to their light weight, thin thickness, wide absorption bandwidth, and strong absorptivity. Herein, MoS₂ was decorated with magnetic Ni particles by electroless plating process to fabricate a double loss MoS₂/Ni absorbent. The MoS₂/Ni powders were successfully prepared and the Ni particles were coated on the surface of MoS₂. Changing the Ni content optimized not only the electromagnetic parameters but also the microwave absorption performance. Complex permittivity and permeability increased with increasing Ni content from 0 wt% to 20 wt%. The sample with MoS₂-20 wt% Ni powders exhibited favorable absorption performance. For the mixture with a thickness of 2.0 mm, a frequency band range of below −10 dB reached over 9.0–11.8 GHz, with a minimum RL value of −22 dB at 10.3 GHz. Therefore, MoS₂/Ni powders are expected to be a promising absorbent for thin and lightweight microwave-absorbing materials.