Hyperbranched copper phthalocyanine decorated Fe3O4 microspheres with extraordinary microwave absorption properties

Abstract

Novel hierarchical Fe₃O₄/hyperbranched copper phthalocyanines (Fe₃O₄–HBCuPc) composites were prepared via a simple solvent-thermal method. HBCuPc molecules were not only attached to the surface of Fe₃O₄ in the form of beads, but embedded in the interior. Importantly, the Fe₃O₄–HBCuPc composites exhibited enhanced microwave absorption properties after introducing the HBCuPc. The minimum reflection loss (R_L) values could reach −30.3 dB at 10.2 GHz and the bandwidth below −10.0 dB increased up to 10.6 GHz, which covers the entire X-band and Ku-band (7.4–18.0 GHz). The introduction of HBCuPc can lead to improved efficient complementarities between the dielectric loss and the magnetic loss in the Fe₃O₄–HBCuPc, which can contribute to microwave absorption. Considering its lightweight, strong absorption and broad bandwidth, the as-prepared Fe₃O₄–HBCuPc can be applied as a new microwave absorber.