In-situ fabrication of Fe@ZrO2 nanochains for the heat-resistant electromagnetic wave absorber

Abstract Novel microwave absorber of Fe@ZrO 2 nanocapsules chains has been fabricated by the one-step process of arc discharge plasma. The Fe@ZrO 2 nanochains exhibit a saturation magnetization (M s ) of 188 emu/g and a coercivity of 253 Oe. It is found that the high dielectric ZrO 2 shell ( e r  ≈ 14 in bulk) has less interference on intrinsic magnetism of the Fe core, which favors to build up a strong magnetic/dielectric coupling within the core@shell type Fe@ZrO 2 nanocapsules. The Fe@ZrO 2 nanochains are stable up to ∼437 °C in the air, implying its higher anti-oxidization ability in a severe environment. The minimum reflection loss (RL) value of Fe@ZrO 2 nanochains reaches to −45.36 dB in a thickness of 3 mm, and the frequency band covers 10.0–18.0 GHz with RLs less than −10 dB in a thickness of 1.5 mm. The excellent microwave absorption ability is attributed to the high magnetic/dielectric losses from multi-resonances and interfacial polarization, as well a proper matching between electromagnetic phases. This work may provide inspiration and insight into the combination of highly stable ceramics and metallic components within an encapsulated nanostructure. Also, it would be an effective route for designing and exploiting novel high-temperature microwave absorbers.