Pomegranate micro/nano hierarchical plasma structure for superior microwave absorption

Inspired by the pomegranate natural artful structure, pomegranate micro/nano hierarchical plasma configuration of Fe/Fe₃C@graphitized carbon (FFC/pCL) was constructed based on the green sol-gel method and in-situ chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis protocol. Pomegranate-like FFC/pCL successfully overcame the agglomeration phenomenon of magnetic nanoparticles with each seed of the pomegranate consisting of Fe/Fe₃C as cores and graphitized carbon layers as shells. The high-density arrangement of magnetic nanoparticles and the design of pomegranate-like heterostructures lead to enhanced plasmon resonance. Thus, the pomegranate-like FFC/pCL achieved a great electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing performance of 6.12 GHz wide band absorption at a low mass adding of only 16.7 wt.%. Such excellent EMW performance can be attributed to its unique pomegranate hierarchical plasma configuration with separated nanoscale iron cores, surface porous texture, and good carbon conductive network. This investigation provides a new paradigm for the development of magnetic/carbon based EMW absorbing materials by taking advantage of pomegranate hierarchical plasma configuration.