The study of structural, magnetic, and microwave absorbing properties of graphene/hexagonal ferrite for microwave absorber

This work reports the synthesis and characterization of Y-type Hexaferrite (Ba2Co2Fe12O22) and its composites with 20, 30, 40, and 50 wt% rGO. Ferrites were fabricated using the hydrothermal method and then sintered for 6 h at 1000 degree celsius. The formation of Y-type hexaferrite (Ba2Co2Fe12O22) and Ferrites/rGO composites was confirmed using x-ray diffraction. Ferrite/rGO composites exhibited no diffraction peaks due to rGO, which may be due to staking disorders and uniformly dispersed graphene sheets. Scanning electron microscopy showed that graphene nanolayers are well-decorated with Y-type hexaferrite nanoparticles. FTIR spectra measured for Ba2Co2Fe12O22, rGO, and Ba2Co2Fe12O22/rGO nanocomposites revealed the presence of relevant functional chemical bonds. The dielectric properties studied between 1MHz-3GHz frequency range showed that composites of Ba2Co2Fe12O22/rGO perform better than pure ferrite. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy was applied to determine the band gap, and rGO/Ferrites composites exhibited a band gap in the range of 4.4-4.6 eV. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements showed saturation magnetization of 26.2 emu g(-1) in pure hexaferrite, which significantly lowered with rGO content in the composites. From enhanced absorption and reflection parameters of dielectric properties and magnetic loss that originate from the synergetic effect of rGO and Y-type hexaferrite (Ba2Co2Fe12O22), this study suggests lightweight, flexible, and efficient EMI shielding composites.