Checkerboard-like nickel nanoislands/defect graphene aerogel with enhanced surface plasmon resonance for superior microwave absorption

To solve the problem of dispersion of magnetic nanoparticles in ultralight electromagnetic absorption field, checkerboard-like nickel nanoislands/defect graphene aerogel (NIDG) with enhanced surface plasmon resonance was designed and prepared through electrostatic self-assembly method. This special structure successfully overcame the aggregation phenomenon of magnetic metals and built high-density gap regions to enhance surface plasmon resonance. And the NIDG has achieved excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance in C band. Specially, NIDG is superior in ultra-lightness with only 6.2 wt%, compared to some recently reported magnetic electromagnetic wave absorbers. Such great performance can be attributed to the enhanced surface plasmon resonance and improved impedance matching. This work is significant for achieving effective dielectric loss and designing lightweight low-frequency EMW absorbing materials.