Fabrication of One-Dimensional Polypyrrole Nanochains for a High-Efficiency Electromagnetic Wave Absorber with a Low Filler Loading

A highly efficient electromagnetic wave-absorbing material with a low filler amount is urgently pursued to suppress unwanted electromagnetic radiation issues. To exploit this kind of absorber, constructing a one-dimensional (1D) structure holds exceptionally great importance. Herein, 1D polypyrrole (PPy) nanochains with different conductivities have been successfully synthesized through the combined utilization of chemical oxidative polymerization and a soft template method. When the mass ratio of PPy nanochains is regulated in a flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix, PPy-1/TPU composites emerge with superior wave attenuation capacity with an optimal reflection loss of −50.4 dB at 2.55 mm and an effective absorption bandwidth of 3.76 GHz at 2.62 mm when the filler loading is only 7 wt %. The potential dissipating mechanism is mainly attributed to the enhanced synergistic effects of a unique 1D chain structure, conduction loss, and dielectric loss. This work paves a promising pathway for fabricating an excellent wave-absorbing candidate with low filler content by employing a single absorbent.