Enhancing electromagnetic wave absorption performance of Co3O4 nanoparticles functionalized MoS2 nanosheets

The 2D molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MoS2-NS) has exhibited great potential in electromagnetic wave absorbing (EMA) due to larger surface area and peculiar electronic properties. However, due to the poor impedance matching and limited electromagnetic loss capability of pure MoS2-NS, its practical applications are significantly challenging. Herein, we firstly implanted Co3O4 nanoparticles (Co3O4-NPS) on MoS2-NS by a facile hydrothermal method to improve the EMA performance. The resulting MoS2/Co3O4 hybrids exhibit the minimum reflection loss (RL) value of −43.56 dB at 6.96 GHz with 20 wt% Co3O4 loading under the samples thickness of 4.0 mm. The widest bandwidth with the RL value less than −10 dB of MoS2/Co3O4 hybrids was determined to be 4.76 GHz (13.24 to 18 GHz) under the absorber thickness of 2.0 mm. The excellent performance is ascribed to that implanted Co3O4-NPS on MoS2-NS could turn tuning impedance matching and improving synergetic magnetic loss and dielectric loss. Herein, this work not only presents a facile strategy of achieving high-performance MoS2-based EMA materials, but also provides important implications for designing the other EMA materials. [Display omitted] •The MoS2/Co3O4 hybrids are prepared by a facile synthesis route.•The MoS2/Co3O4 hybrids exhibit excellent electromagnetic absorption properties.•Tailoring Co3O4 loading percentage and thickness tunes electromagnetic absorption for high efficiency and broad bandwidth.•The mechanisms of high-performance microwave absorption of MoS2/Co3O4 hybrids are elucidated.