Issue 28, 2024

Electron-injection-induced Fe atomic valence transition for efficient terahertz shielding in α-Fe2O3@carbon microtubes

Abstract

Currently, commonly used terahertz (THz) absorbers based on metamaterials exhibit limitations in their narrow-band characteristics. This limitation poses a significant challenge when striving to create thinner electromagnetic interference shielding materials capable of delivering exceptional absorption while minimizing reflection across a wide frequency spectrum. In response to this challenge, here we develop a heterostructured material composed of carbon microtubes (CMTs) and (110) α-Fe2O3 nanosheets. This heterostructured material shows remarkable THz absorption capabilities and minimal reflectance, owing to the effective alignment between the Fermi energy level of CMTs and the conduction band position of (110) α-Fe2O3 nanosheets at the interface. When subjected to THz wave irradiation, there occurs a resonant transfer of excited electrons from the CMTs to (110) α-Fe2O3, resulting in a change in the valence state of Fe atoms from Fe(III) to Fe(III). This process contributes significantly to a shielding effectiveness of maximal 75.9 dB at a thickness of 2.45 mm. Furthermore, when combined with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), the (α-Fe2O3@CMTs)/PMMA films demonstrate a maximal shielding effectiveness of 51.6 dB at a thickness of 300 μm within the frequency range of 0.2–1.8 THz. This breakthrough holds great promise for applications in the fields of aeronautics, astronautics, and the military.

Graphical abstract: Electron-injection-induced Fe atomic valence transition for efficient terahertz shielding in α-Fe2O3@carbon microtubes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Mar 2024
Accepted
10 Jun 2024
First published
11 Jun 2024

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024,12, 17193-17202

Electron-injection-induced Fe atomic valence transition for efficient terahertz shielding in α-Fe2O3@carbon microtubes

S. Guan, S. Ma, H. Ren, J. Chen, Z. Zhang, P. Zhang, X. Xu and X. Wu, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024, 12, 17193 DOI: 10.1039/D4TA01616E

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