Metal–Organic Framework-Derived Hierarchical Cu₉S₅/C Nanocomposite Fibers for Enhanced Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

Abstract

Refining the electromagnetic wave absorption characteristics of traditional metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived carbon composites remains a challenge because of their discontinuous conductive path. To overcome this limitation, in this work, MOF-derived hierarchical Cu₉S₅/C nanocomposite fibers are fabricated by electrospinning and subsequent carbonization-sulfurization process. Morphological analyses show that MOF-derived octahedral Cu₉S₅/C particles are evenly monodispersed inside carbonaceous fibers. This configuration creates a unique hierarchical structure, ranging from Cu₉S₅ particle embedding, MOF-derived skeleton, to a three-dimensional network. The optimized composite fibers (Cu₉S₅/C-40) exhibit extraordinary electromagnetic wave absorption performance at a low mass fraction (20 wt%): the minimum reflection loss value reaches − 69.6 dB, and the maximum effective absorption bandwidth achieves 5.81 GHz with an extremely thin thickness of only 1.83 mm. Systematic investigations demonstrate that constructing the three-dimensional conductive network to connect MOF derivatives is crucial for activating performance enhancement. The unique nano-micro hierarchical structure synergized with elaborate-configured components endows the materials with optimal impedance matching and amplifies the loss capacity of each part. This work provides a reliable example and theoretical guidance for fabricating new-generation high-efficiency MOF-derived fibrous electromagnetic wave absorbers.

Keywords

Electromagnetic wave absorption / Metal–organic frameworks / Electrospinning / Cu₉S₅ / Structure-induced effect

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Funding

Key research and development program of Shandong Province(2021ZLGX01); Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(2023TSGC0545)