Highly efficient electromagnetic absorption on ZnN₄-based MOFs-derived carbon composites

Rapid expansion in microelectronic devices has accelerated considerable attention on the development of high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption materials. We herein reported a nitrogen-anchored Zn single atom microwave absorber derived from zeolitic imidazolate frameworks with high Zn–N₄ content (18.4%) and defect concentration (2.43 × 10¹¹ cm⁻²), thus featuring with remarkable dielectric loss tangent ∼5.6. Theoretical calculations revealed that this significant enhancement was originated from the coordination structure of single zinc atoms localized within carbon matrix, associated with a high density of permanent electric dipoles that act as atomic-scale polarization sites under the alternating electromagnetic field. This work has important significance in understanding the physical origin of electromagnetic wave absorption for the MOFs and provides an alternative for designing the excellent electromagnetic wave absorption materials.