Intelligent electric energy driven ultrathin Graphene-Based Janus Films: Pioneering design for dynamic Electrochromism and superior microwave absorption

Abstract

Given the rapid evolution of radar detection technologies, there is a growing demand for stimuli-responsive, intelligent microwave absorption (MA) materials. These materials can offer dynamic and adaptive control of their MA performance in intricate radar signal settings. Concurrently, electrical signals are commonly preferred as triggers for these responsive materials, given their consistent and rapid response speed. In this study, intelligent PDA/rGO composite films are fabricated into Janus structure using a simple scratching technique, followed by UV-induced topological polymerization. Upon activation at 35 V, the film thickness increases from 39 to 82.3 μm, with an accompanying color transition from blue to red. Following this activation, the PDA/rGO composite film exhibits significantly enhanced MA performance. The optimal reflection loss (RL) increases by 723.3 %, shifting from − 3 dB to − 21.7 dB at 18 GHz relative to its initial state, with the corresponding effective absorption band (EAB) extending to 4 GHz. This is attributed to the transformation of the agglomerated rGO multilayers into the porous structure upon electrical stimulation, thereby improving the impedance matching and electromagnetic wave dissipation capability. Thus, this study presents a feasible approach to developing ultra-thin, electro-responsive composite film for efficient MA performance, paving the way for designing intelligent MA materials.