Exploring the Potential of rGO@PANI with Codoped Mn₂O₃ and CoFe₂O₄ Composite as a Radar Absorbing Material for Entire X and K_u Bands

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with diverse, layered structures and unique electronic characteristics was restricted in microwave wave absorption owing to the high dielectric and easy agglomeration properties. In situ, the polymerization method is adopted to prepare the rGO@PANI with codoped Mn2O3 and CoFe2O4 composites as an efficient microwave absorber. The resultant material is thoroughly characterized for phase and morphological analysis and dielectric and magnetic parameters, which revealed that Mn2O3 with CoFe2O4 particles was dispersed across the rGO@PANI composite. Our finding shows that at the 35 wt % loading, sample PGF 1 shows an EAB of 5.07 GHz with a maximum reflection loss (RLmax) of −22.79 dB at 2 mm thickness; for PGF 2, the achieved RLmax is −48.44 dB at 2.3 mm thickness with 3.6 GHz of EAB, while PGF 3 exhibits an EAB of 2.64 GHz and an RLmax of −47.03 dB at 7.28 GHz with a thickness of 3.4 mm. The notable differences in the conduction of electrons and electronic structure between the decorated Mn2O3 and CoFe2O4 particles and outer graphene layers significantly enhance interfacial polarization. By creating quicker electron transport routes, the 3D hierarchical rGO@PANI with codoped Mn2O3 and CoFe2O4 network topology further improves absorption outcomes. The well-thought-out planning and cooperative action of rGO@PANI sheets with codoped Mn2O3 and CoFe2O4 are intimately connected to high interfacial polarization, which results in incredibly efficient absorption with lightweight and thin thickness as suitable in the field of RADAR absorption. Remarkably, PGF 3 with 40 wt % loading shows the absorption of microwaves for the entire X and Ku bands only at a thickness of 2.4 mm and covers 92.5% of the whole frequency region (2–18 GHz) up to a thickness of 6 mm.