An alternating multilayered Ti3C2Tx/Co sandwich with Co ‘cream coating’ for superior electromagnetic wave absorption performance and infrared stealth ability

In this study, the data focuses on the preparation, characterization, and electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) properties of alternating multilayer Ti3C2Tx/Co sandwiches.
1. Morphological data: The scanning electron microscope image shows the morphology of the sample. It can be clearly seen that a large number of Co nanoparticles are uniformly immobilized on the surface and interlayer of Ti3C2Tx, forming a sandwich structure. When the Co2+ content is low, the particles are uniform and well dispersed. As the concentration of Co2+ increases, some particles accumulate on the outer surface of the ordered layered Ti3C2Tx, forming a faint outline. These particles are tightly adhered to the substrate surface, forming a multi-interface structure. With the further increase of Co2+ concentration, the particles adsorb each other and aggregate together, and the number of particles on the surface increases significantly, covering almost the whole Ti3C2Tx and forming a well-coated structure. These interfaces are in contact with each other, forming a three-dimensional interconnection network, which promotes the electron and ion transport rates and significantly enhances the effect of interfacial polarization on the electronic warfare.
2. Structural and compositional data: XRD spectra show the phase composition of the samples. The diffraction peaks of Ti3C2Tx and Co appeared in the composite sample. Raman spectra showed the degree of graphitization of the composites, and the ID/IG ratio varied with Co content. XPS spectra further investigated the surface chemical state and elemental composition of the composites. VSM recorded hysteresis lines of the samples with different Co contents at room temperature. BET curves showed the specific surface area and average pore size of the samples.
3. Electromagnetic parameters and EWA performance data: Complex permittivity (ε′ and ε″), complex permeability (μ′ and μ″), tangent to dielectric loss (tanδε) and tangent to magnetic loss (tanδμ) were measured. The EWA capability was evaluated by reflection loss (RL). After optimization, the co-modified Ti3C2Tx composites exhibit the smallest reflection loss (RLmin) value of -49.57 dB and the widest effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) up to 2.88 GHz at a thickness of 2.5 mm. Impedance matching is investigated, and it is found that the CM-2 has better impedance matching, which is related to its EWA performance. The relaxation process is explored by analyzing the Cole-Cole semicircle and a quarter-wavelength matching model is used to explain the variation of RLmin with thickness.
4. Infrared camera proves composites have some infrared stealth capability.