Multifunctional Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Aerogel for Self-Cleaning, Heat-Insulating, and Highly Efficient Microwave Absorbing Material

Multifunctionalization is the future development direction for microwave absorbing materials, but has not yet been explored. The effective integration of multiple functions into one material remains a huge challenge. Herein, an aerogel-type microwave absorber assembled with multidimensional organic and inorganic components is synthesized. Polyacrylonitrile fibers and polybenzoxazine membranes work as the skeleton and crosslinker, respectively, forming a 3D framework, in which carbon nanotubes are interconnected into an electrically conductive network, and Fe3O4 nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed throughout the aerogel. Remarkably, the microwave absorption performances of the aerogel achieve ultralight, ultrathin (1.5 mm), and strong absorption (reflection loss of -59.85 dB) features. In particular, its specific reflection loss values considerably outperform the current magnetic-dielectric hybrids with similar components. Moreover, the aerogel possesses strong hydrophobicity and good thermal insulation, endowing it attractive functions of self-cleaning, infrared stealth, and heat insulation that is even comparable to commercial products. The excellent multifunction benefits from the cellular structure of aerogel, the assembly of multidimensional nanomaterials, and the synergistic effect of organic-inorganic components. This study paves the way for designing next-generation microwave absorbing materials with great potential for multifunctional applications.