Construction of hierarchical SnO2@Fe3O4 nanostructures for efficient microwave absorption

Abstract A hierarchical sea-urchin-like SnO2@Fe3O4 nanostructure was synthesized via a simple two-step liquid-phase method. The SnO2 nanorod epitaxially grew in the radial direction on the surfaces of Fe3O4 microspheres. The microwave absorbing properties of the hierarchical SnO2@Fe3O4 nanostructure were studied. The hierarchical SnO2@Fe3O4 nanostructure showed enhanced microwave absorbing properties compared to those of the primary Fe3O4 microspheres. The maximal refection loss (RL) of the hierarchical SnO2@Fe3O4 nanostructures was -20.0 dB at 14.5GHz with an absorber thickness of 8 mm. These results demonstrate an efficient method for designing new types of microwave-absorbing materials with high performances.