Multifunctional MXene composite aerogels modified via hyperbranched gels

Abstract

In the modern battlefield, the use of multi-spectral detection techniques that combine the use of infrared and radar bands is prevalent, making the survivability of high-value targets poor. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop materials that can withstand multi-spectral detection. Here, a multifunctional aerogel composite of hyperbranched gel (HPY) and MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x) is proposed to simultaneously resist multi-spectral detection. The surface of the aerogel has aligned porous walls, which gives the aerogel excellent thermal insulation, with a surface temperature of only 45.2 °C after being kept on a hot platform at 200 °C for 420 min. Most importantly, the aerogel exhibits a double absorption peak with a minimum reflection loss of −55.05 dB at 4.26 GHz and −49.43 dB at 16.68 GHz. Most notably, the widest effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) reaches 8.1 GHz with a matched thickness of only 1.7 mm. The incorporation of HPY alters the internal pore size of the aerogel, thereby developing an internal thermal insulation structure. Furthermore, the parallel hollow walls on the surface of the aerogel permit electromagnetic waves to enter the interior, while the composite structure endows the aerogel with multiple electromagnetic wave loss mechanisms.