journal article·2026-07-13Open access

Modified MXene Aerogel With Broadband Microwave Absorption Inspired by Melanophila Acuminata Beetle

Zhiwei Liu, Dingyu Xu, Zhaobo Liu, Haitian Song, Qianqian Zhang, Junxiao Zhou, Xiewen Wen

Abstract

ABSTRACT The rapid development of wireless technologies has led to significant electromagnetic interference (EMI), which can damage sensitive electronic equipment and cause potential biological safety issues. Conventional electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials are often hindered by a series of complicated limitations, including high density, poor impedance matching, and narrow absorption bandwidths, which limit their use in advanced applications. To overcome these challenges, this work introduces a novel biomimetic strategy inspired by the infrared‐sensing sensilla of the Melanophila acuminata beetle. We have designed a multi‐level aerogel, featuring a three‐dimensional carbon framework decorated with synergistic CeO 2 nanoparticles and Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene nanosheets. This design creates abundant heterogeneous interfaces and absorption paths and utilizes complementary loss mechanisms to achieve outstanding performance, validated by theoretical analysis. The resulting aerogel achieves a record‐breaking effective absorption bandwidth of 9.43 GHz with only 3.74 wt.% filler loading, establishing a new benchmark for lightweight, broadband electromagnetic absorption. This work presents a promising design paradigm for developing advanced EMW absorbing materials with significant potential for next‐generation stealth technologies and EMI shielding.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Electromagnetic wave absorption materials · MXene and MAX Phase Materials · Advanced Antenna and Metasurface Technologies

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Kowloon Hong Kong SAR China

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute Shenzhen China

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Wuxi Technology and Innovation Research Institute Wuxi China

School of Materials Science and Engineering Beihang University Beijing China

Fujian Academy of Forestry Fuzhou China

National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulations Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Nanjing University Nanjing China

University Research Facility in 3D Printing The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Kowloon Hong Kong SAR China

Funding

Electrochemical Society

References (52)

Show source-provided references
1. 10.1002/adfm.20180739810.1002/adfm.201807398 ↗
2. 10.1002/adma.20210753810.1002/adma.202107538 ↗
3. Oxidative Molecular Layer Deposition Tailoring Eco‐Mimetic Nanoarchitecture to Manipulate Electromagnetic Attenuation and Self‐Powered Energy Conversion
4. 10.1038/s41467‐023‐41697‐610.1038/s41467‐023‐41697‐6 ↗
5. 10.1002/adma.20230418210.1002/adma.202304182 ↗
6. 10.1002/adfm.20231047510.1002/adfm.202310475 ↗
7. 10.1016/j.pmatsci.2023.10118110.1016/j.pmatsci.2023.101181 ↗
8. 10.1016/j.matdes.2023.11196810.1016/j.matdes.2023.111968 ↗
9. 10.1002/adma.20231423310.1002/adma.202314233 ↗
10. 10.1002/adfm.20220449910.1002/adfm.202204499 ↗
11. 10.1038/s41565‐022‐01308‐910.1038/s41565‐022‐01308‐9 ↗
12. 10.1002/adma.20251466710.1002/adma.202514667 ↗
13. 10.1126/science.aba797710.1126/science.aba7977 ↗
14. 10.1007/s40820‐023‐01158‐710.1007/s40820‐023‐01158‐7 ↗
15. 10.1021/acsnano.5c0683210.1021/acsnano.5c06832 ↗
16. 10.1002/adfm.20252069210.1002/adfm.202520692 ↗
17. 10.1002/adfm.20252033610.1002/adfm.202520336 ↗
18. 10.1002/adfm.20252740110.1002/adfm.202527401 ↗
19. 10.1021/acsanm.2c0082910.1021/acsanm.2c00829 ↗
20. 10.1016/j.pmatsci.2022.10094610.1016/j.pmatsci.2022.100946 ↗
21. 10.1038/s41467‐022‐28906‐410.1038/s41467‐022‐28906‐4 ↗
22. 10.1002/adfm.20180762410.1002/adfm.201807624 ↗
23. 10.1038/nmat476610.1038/nmat4766 ↗
24. 10.1007/s40820‐020‐00582‐310.1007/s40820‐020‐00582‐3 ↗
25. 10.1002/adma.20231068310.1002/adma.202310683 ↗
26. 10.1364/OME.51612510.1364/OME.516125 ↗
27. 10.1103/PhysRevB.65.19510410.1103/PhysRevB.65.195104 ↗
28. 10.1038/s41586‐024‐08067‐810.1038/s41586‐024‐08067‐8 ↗
29. 10.1038/s41467‐024‐47537‐510.1038/s41467‐024‐47537‐5 ↗
30. 10.1038/s41586‐022‐05251‐610.1038/s41586‐022‐05251‐6 ↗
31. 10.1002/adma.20210705410.1002/adma.202107054 ↗
32. 10.1038/s41467‐022‐28476‐510.1038/s41467‐022‐28476‐5 ↗
33. 10.1021/acsnano.3c0856910.1021/acsnano.3c08569 ↗
34. 10.1007/s40820‐023‐01151‐010.1007/s40820‐023‐01151‐0 ↗
35. 10.1007/s40820‐024‐01478‐210.1007/s40820‐024‐01478‐2 ↗
36. 10.1016/j.cej.2023.14198310.1016/j.cej.2023.141983 ↗
37. 10.1002/advs.20230236110.1002/advs.202302361 ↗
38. 10.1007/s40820‐024‐01391‐810.1007/s40820‐024‐01391‐8 ↗
39. 10.1039/D4NR01641F10.1039/D4NR01641F ↗
40. 10.1002/advs.20230310410.1002/advs.202303104 ↗
41. 10.1002/adfm.20230447310.1002/adfm.202304473 ↗
42. 10.1002/adma.20210619510.1002/adma.202106195 ↗
43. 10.1002/adfm.20220459110.1002/adfm.202204591 ↗
44. 10.1002/adma.20251050710.1002/adma.202510507 ↗
45. A Universal Laser‐Driven Controllable Synthesis Methodology Enabling Electromagnetic Absorption in High‐Entropy Rare‐Earth Oxides10.1002/adma.202520122 ↗
46. 10.1002/adma.20231141110.1002/adma.202311411 ↗
47. 10.1002/adma.20241018610.1002/adma.202410186 ↗
48. 10.1038/s41467‐024‐45815‐w10.1038/s41467‐024‐45815‐w ↗
49. 10.1038/s41467‐024‐53465‐110.1038/s41467‐024‐53465‐1 ↗
50. 10.1038/s41467‐024‐55776‐910.1038/s41467‐024‐55776‐9 ↗
51. 10.1038/s41467‐025‐58448‐410.1038/s41467‐025‐58448‐4 ↗
52. 10.1038/s41467‐024‐49762‐410.1038/s41467‐024‐49762‐4 ↗