Ti₃C₂ MXenes modified with: In situ grown carbon nanotubes for enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption properties

Ti₃C₂T_x MXenes modified with in situ grown carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are fabricated via a simple catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The as-prepared Ti₃C₂T_x/CNT nanocomposites show that one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanotubes are uniformly distributed in the interlayers of two-dimensional (2D) Ti₃C₂T_x MXene flakes. Compared with the pristine Ti₃C₂T_x MXenes, the hierarchical sandwich microstructure makes a contribution to the excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance in the frequency range of 2-18 GHz, including higher absorption intensity (the minimum reflection coefficient reaches -52.9 dB, ∼99.999% absorption), broader effective absorption bandwidth (4.46 GHz), lower filler loading (35 wt%) and thinner thickness (only 1.55 mm). In addition, with the adjustment of thickness from 1.55 to 5 mm, the effective absorption bandwidth can reach up to 14.54 GHz (3.46-18 GHz). Different absorption mechanisms mainly based on polarization behaviors and conductivity loss are discussed. This work not only proposes the design of a novel electromagnetic wave absorber, but also provides an effective route for extending further the applications of 2D MXene materials in the field of electromagnetic wave absorption.