A new method for the preparation of a Fe3O4/graphene hybrid material and its applications in electromagnetic wave absorption

Abstract A rapid, simple, and inexpensive process combining a microwave-assisted technique and a solvothermal method has been developed using graphene sheets and FeCl 3 ·6H 2 O as the reactant to prepare graphene/Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle hybrids, which can be applied as an electromagnetic radiation absorbent. The experimental factors (i.e., composition ratio, microwave power, and irradiation time) on the products’ characteristics were examined. Under optimal conditions, the morphological analysis revealed that the graphene sheet was homogeneously covered with Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (∼50 nm). The electromagnetic parameters of the composites made from 20 wt% Fe 3 O 4 /graphene–epoxy were measured by a vector network analyzer. It was found that the 4- and 5 mm-thick composites could attain a reflection loss below −20 dB in the dual-ranges of 4–8 and 12–18 GHz.