Synthesis and microwave absorption properties of yolk-shell microspheres with magnetic iron oxide cores and hierarchical copper silicate shells.

Yolk-shell microspheres with magnetic Fe3O4 cores and hierarchical copper silicate shells have been successfully synthesized by combining the versatile sol-gel process and hydrothermal reaction. Various yolk-shell microspheres with different core size and shell thickness can be readily synthesized by varying the experimental conditions. Compared to pure Fe3O4, the as-synthesized yolk-shell microspheres exhibit significantly enhanced microwave absorption properties in terms of both the maximum reflection loss value and the absorption bandwidth. The maximum reflection loss value of these yolk-shell microspheres can reach -23.5 dB at 7 GHz with a thickness of 2 mm, and the absorption bandwidths with reflection loss lower than -10 dB are up to 10.4 GHz. Owing to the large specific surface area, high porosity, and synergistic effect of both the magnetic Fe3O4 cores and hierarchical copper silicate shells, these unique yolk-shell microspheres may have the potential as high-efficient absorbers for microwave absorption applications.