Flower-like Co superstructures: Morphology and phase evolution mechanism and novel microwave electromagnetic characteristics

Flower-like Co superstructures composed of leaf-like flakes were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal approach independent of surfactants or complex precursors. The evolution of the morphology and crystal phase was closely related to the variation of the electrode potentials, in which NaOH and hydrazine hydrate played crucial roles. The microwave electromagnetic and absorbing properties of the flower-like Co/wax composites varied strongly with the mass ratios (lambda) of Co powder to wax. At the low lambda of Co powder to wax, flower-like Co superstructures functioned as the random distributed patches in wax matrix and, therefore composites exhibited frequency selective surface (FSS) behaviors. Owing to high conductance and eddy current losses, however, composites with high lambda showed excellent microwave absorption performances, with a minimum reflection loss (R-L) of 40.25 dB observed at 6.08 GHz, corresponding to a matching thickness of 2.5 mm. In particular, the absorption bandwidth (R-L <= -20 dB) was 13.28 GHz. The current work provides insights into the absorption mechanism of flower-like complex absorption materials.