Facile synthesis of lightweight 3D hierarchical NiCo2O4 nanoflowers/reduced graphene oxide composite foams with excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance.

• A lightweight 3D NiCo 2 O 4 /RGO foam was fabricated by a simple and gentle method. • The unique 3D conductive foam structure endows efficient microwave absorption. • Low filling content, thin thickness and broad bandwidth were achieved. • The associated microwave absorption mechanism is clarified. Considering the high filling ratios, high densities, and narrow absorbing bandwidths of the current electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbers, in this work, we successfully synthesized a 3D hierarchical NiCo 2 O 4 nanoflowers/reduced graphene oxide (NiCo 2 O 4 /RGO) composite foam by a simple method under gentle condition. The NiCo 2 O 4 nanoflowers and unique 3D foam structure are beneficial to the refraction and scattering of EMW, which endows the prepared 3D foam with highly efficient EMW absorption performance. When the ratio between NiCo 2 O 4 and RGO in the foam is 1:1, 5% mass fraction of NiCo 2 O 4 /RGO foam in paraffin wax can reach a minimum reflection loss (RL min) value of -52.2 dB with a thin thickness merely 2.6 mm. Simultaneously, the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL exceeding -10 dB) is 7.04 GHz that covers the whole Ku band (10.96-18 GHz). Moreover, the effects of the thickness of the absorber and the loading ratios of the foam in paraffin wax matrix on the EMW absorption properties are also carefully investigated. The results indicate that the optimum EMW absorption performance of NiCo 2 O 4 /RGO can be tuned in different bands. The EMW absorption mechanism is ascribed to the proper impedance matching and larger dielectric and magnetic loss produced by the synergy of NiCo 2 O 4 and RGO. Therefore, the NiCo 2 O 4 /RGO hybrid foam is ideal candidate to be used as high-efficient EMW absorbers with low filling ratio, light weight, and broad frequency bandwidths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]