Natural bamboo-derived NbC nanowires for efficient electromagnetic wave absorption

Transition metal carbides (TMCs) are a class of materials with excellent dielectric properties and thermal stability, which exhibit enormous potential in high temperature electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA). However, the high dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of TMCs usually cause impedance mismatch, and their high density also prevents further practical applications. To solve these problems, the lightweight and impedance matching NbC nanowires (NbC nws ) were prepared by using bamboo powder as a carbon source and subsequent carbothermal reduction reaction process. The as-synthesized NbC nws all exhibit a low density of 0.23 g/cm 3 and superior EMA performance. It is worth noting that the minimum reflection loss (RL min ) of the sample is −43.03 dB at 5.92 GHz and the corresponding matching thickness is only 3.7 mm when sintering temperature is 1500°C. The excellent electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) performance is attributed to good impedance matching and strong dielectric loss. This research work provides a prospect for the development and utilization of one-dimensional TMC materials in the field of microwave absorption materials.