High-entropy single-atoms revolutionize electromagnetic wave absorption

Electromagnetic wave (EMW) pollution has become a critical concern with the rapid advancement of electronic devices and communication technologies. Traditional materials for EMW absorption face limitations such as high density, poor impedance matching, and inefficient polarization mechanisms. Addressing these challenges, a team of researchers from Xi’an Shiyou University and Shaanxi University of Science and Technology has pioneered a high-entropy single-atom material that achieves remarkable EMW absorption performance.

The study, published in Nano Research, introduces an entropy-driven strategy to stabilize five transition metals (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) within a carbon matrix, creating a material referred to as HESAs@CN. This innovative approach suppresses atomic aggregation while engineering asymmetric charge distributions and enhanced electronic conductivity, resulting in superior EMW dissipation.

“Our work demonstrates the immense potential of high-entropy single-atom materials for tailoring dielectric properties and achieving efficient electromagnetic wave absorption,” said Professor Wenhuan Huang, one of the corresponding authors of the study. “The synergistic effects of multiple metal elements and their asymmetric coordination environments are key to unlocking unprecedented performance.”

The researchers synthesized the material using a crystalline energetic metal-organic framework (MOF) precursor, which was transformed into hierarchically porous carbon-confined high-entropy single-atom systems through rapid high-temperature volume expansion. The resulting material exhibited a minimal reflection loss of -76.9 dB at 8.57 GHz and an effective absorption bandwidth of 5.00 GHz at a thickness of just 2.81 mm, outperforming all single-metal counterparts.

Theoretical calculations revealed that the differential electronegativity and ionic radii among the multimetallic sites induced localized asymmetric coordination environments, generating intensive electric dipole polarization centers. These centers, combined with rapid interfacial charge redistribution and efficient electron transfer, significantly boosted conduction loss and polarization relaxation.

The study not only provides a robust platform for probing single-atom formation mechanisms but also establishes a new paradigm for designing advanced EMW absorption materials. The findings have potential applications in personal electromagnetic protection, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and radar-absorbing structures.

The research team plans to further optimize the material’s composition and structure for broader frequency coverage and practical applications.“Our ultimate goal is to develop lightweight, high-performance absorbers that can be integrated into next-generation electronic devices and communication systems,” added Professor Hai Huang, another corresponding author.

Other contributors include Tong Liu, Chenzhengzhe Yan, Yang Wang, Shuo Li, Shengnian Lu, from the Xi’an Shiyou University, China, Mingfei Ren, Kaige Zhang, Yifan, Kang, Jiacheng Ma from the Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, China, and Chong Wang from Shaanxi Normal University.

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22301239 and 22271178), the Youth Talent Promotion Project of Science and Technology Association of Universities of Shaanxi Province (20240601), the Research Pro-gram of the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Education (23JK0596), and The Youth Innovation Team of Shaanxi Universi-ties.

About Nano Research

Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 7,000 articles. In 2024 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2024 IF is 9.0 (8.7, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.