Biomass-derived mulberry porous carbon for microwave absorption

Abstract

Abstract In modern electronic devices and communication systems, there is an urgent need for economically viable, environmentally friendly, and efficient absorbing materials. In this work, we have successfully synthesized nitrogen-potassium doped mulberry porous carbon (MBPC) using a one-step pyrolysis strategy for the first time utilizing mulberry as a biomass carbon wave-absorbing material. The resulting MBPC exhibited a porous structure with abundant defects, facilitating the formation of a micro-conductive network and multiple reflection and scattering phenomena, thereby enabling strong microwave absorption. Experimental results demonstrated that the MBPC material achieved a remarkable minimum reflection loss of −44.82 dB at a frequency of 14.64 GHz, along with a maximum effective absorption bandwidth exceeding 5.76 GHz, all within a thickness of only 2.2 mm. Furthermore, by adjusting the thickness between 1 ∼ 3 mm, the bandwidth coverage can be extended to 8.48 ∼ 18 GHz. Computer simulation technology (CST) revealed a high simulated RCS value of 20.68 dB·m2, highlighting its significant practical application potential. This research underscores the promising prospects of mulberry-derived porous carbon as a lightweight, cost-effective, and efficient electromagnetic absorption material.