As 5G, IoT, and AI technologies boom, electromagnetic (EM) pollution and interference have become critical challenges—demanding high-performance EM wave (EMW) absorbers that can efficiently dissipate unwanted radiation. Traditional absorbers often struggle to balance broad absorption bandwidth, strong attenuation, and thin thickness. Now, a team led by Professors Yang Yang and Wei Lu from Tongji University has published a breakthrough in Nano-Micro Letters , introducing a novel "electron localization" strategy. By anchoring nickel (Ni) nanoclusters on Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene, they created Ni-MXene composites that achieve an exceptional minimum reflection loss (RL min ) of −54 dB and an ultra-wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 6.8 GHz—setting a new benchmark for MXene-based EMW absorbers.
Why This Ni-MXene Composite Stands Out
EMW absorption relies on converting EM energy into heat via dielectric or magnetic loss. MXene (Ti 3 C 2 T x ) is a promising absorber due to its metallic conductivity and high surface area, but its excessive conductivity causes poor impedance matching (EM waves reflect instead of penetrating), limiting performance. The Tongji team solved this by engineering electron localization—confining electron movement to enhance polarization, the key to efficient EMW dissipation:
Core Innovation: How Ni-MXene Is Designed
The team’s synthesis is precise and scalable, tailoring Ni morphology to control electron localization:
Performance: Ultra-Strong Absorption & Broad Bandwidth
When tested in the 2–18 GHz range (critical for 5G and radar), the Ni-MXene composites show remarkable results:
Future Impact: Beyond EMW Absorption
This work redefines how electron localization can optimize functional materials. The strategy isn’t limited to EMW absorbers—it can be applied to:
The Tongji team’s "electron localization" approach proves that tuning electronic structure at the atomic scale is the key to high-performance EMW absorbers. By leveraging MSI to control electron movement, they’ve unlocked MXene’s full potential—paving the way for greener, more efficient solutions to EM pollution.
Nano-Micro Letters
Experimental study
Metal–Support Interaction Induced Electron Localization in Rationally Designed Metal Sites Anchored MXene Enables Boosted Electromagnetic Wave Attenuation
23-Jun-2025