Self-assembled WC@CN cage capture and anti-pitting effects synergize for integrated microwave absorption and corrosion protection

In the face of the current complex and changing electromagnetic environment, especially high humidity, high salt spray and other harsh environments in the ocean, the traditional microwave absorbing material (MAM) is difficult to meet its application needs, so the development of MAM adapted to the harsh marine environment is imminent. Here, we follow the concept of green synthesis and use self-assembly to prepare WC@CN (carbon nanosheets) composite material, integrated microwave absorption and corrosion protection, effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.07 GHz at an ultra-thin thickness of 1.59 mm, full band absorption from 2 to 18 GHz can be achieved by thickness regulation. The epoxy composite coating produced by blending 10 wt%WC@CN with epoxy resin has excellent corrosion resistance, which is attributed to the excellent resistance of WC to chloride ion pitting and the cage capture and barrier effects of CN, and the molecular dynamics simulations (MDs) results are also consistent with the experimental results. This work could provide new insights and strategies for high performance MAM with corrosion protection, with promising applications in the marine military equipment sector.