This paper reports enhancement of
the electromagnetic (EM)-wave-absorbing capability of stretchable
nanocomposites through the introduction of microbuckling. Three-dimentional
composites are fabricated by laminating carbon nanotube films decorated
with in situ grown Fe3O4 nanoparticles using
a solvothermal process. The highly wavy morphology enhances the dispersion
of EM-wave energy through multiple reflections and gives rise to higher
active material content per unit area. The minimum reflection loss
of −53.3 dB with a 8.1 GHz bandwidth is achieved for a three-layer
buckled Fe3O4/carbon nanotube/poly(dimethylsiloxane)
composite, which is superior to the performance of the corresponding
unbuckled composite. The fundamental EM-wave absorption mechanism
of the composite is discussed. This research has demonstrated microbuckling
as a viable approach to fabricating stretchable, broad-bandwidth,
and efficient EM-wave-absorbing composites.
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