Synergistic regulation of dielectric polarization and magnetic loss in doped spinel microwave absorption materials

With the progress of electronic communication technology, the intensity of electromagnetic radiation is getting strength, and the traditional absorbing materials can no longer meet the needs of various current environments. Dielectric nanomaterials have received much attention in energy conversion, electromagnetic shielding and absorption due to their nanosize effects and structural tunable properties. However, the mismatch impedance and the single loss mechanism severely limit its application in the field of microwave absorption. In this paper, we modified the doped ZnCo₂O₄ with the guidance of density functional theory (DFT) simulation, effectively regulate the dielectric parameters and adjust the microwave absorption characteristics, which stems from the transformation of electron energy between doped ions and some defects. Meanwhile, we further experimentally observe significant magnetic components at the doped ZnCo₂O₄, resulting in improved magnetic properties and producing a large number of dipoles. Due to the best impedance match and enhanced polarization loss, the minimum reflection loss is −37 dB, and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) is 7.21 GHz. This provides ideas for the design of cobalt acid-based materials as efficient microwave absorbers.