A novel Fe3O4/ZnO/PANI/rGO nanohybrid material for radar wave absorbing

In this study, a novel RAM utilizing Fe3O4, ZnO, polyaniline (PANI), and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in the form of nanohybrid is invented, namely Fe3O4/ZnO/PANI/rGO nanohybrid. In this study, the effects of the rGO fraction in Fe3O4/ZnO/PANI/rGO composition on the radar absorbing performance were investigated. Meanwhile, exploring the quality of the nanohybrid sample, such as the crystal structure, functional groups, morphology, magnetic properties, and reflection loss was also examined carefully. It shows that two crystalline phases of Fe3O4 and ZnO, as well as amorphous structures of PANI and rGO are formed independently, indicating successful nanohybrid formation. In this case, PANI functioned as a binder for Fe3O4 and ZnO, and thus, it could infiltrate the pores of rGO. Fe3O4/ZnO/PANI/rGO nanohybrid possesses superparamagnetic properties with decreasing saturation magnetization as rGO composition increases. Nevertheless, rGO enhanced the radar absorption performance with a maximum reflection loss of −8.57 dB at 11.10 GHz. In this present research, the synergy of combination between the magnetic and dielectric losses in the Fe3O4/ZnO/PANI/rGO nanohybrid is discussed together with plausible strategies to obtain highly efficient RAM. •The radar technology is one of important aspect in stealth technology.•One of the most popular magnetic materials applied as radar technology is Fe3O4.•A novel Fe3O4/ZnO/PANI/rGO nanohybrid for radar absorbing application was successfully synthesized using the regular mixing method.•Radar absorbing material (RAM) must have several features, including high permittivity and permeability with high magnetic saturation.•rGO enhanced the radar absorption performance with a maximum reflection loss of −8.57 dB at 11.10 GHz.