Effect of sintering temperature on impedance and EMI shielding of carbon modified CoFe2O4 nanofibers via electrospinning

The electrospinning technique is employed for the synthesized cobalt ferrite/carbon nanofibers, utilizing iso-propanol as the solvent. The nanofibers prepared are subjected to sintering at three different temperatures. A comprehensive analysis is carried out on the structural, morphological, dielectric, impedance, and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness within the X-band frequency range (8.2–12.4 GHz). The application of the Debye-Scherer formula yielded an estimated crystallite size of 22 nm. The electrical response of cobalt ferrite/carbon nanofibers pellet is characterized by employing impedance spectroscopy. Variations in impedance plane plots are discussed based on frequency dependent relaxation time modulations. The impact of sintering temperature is observed in terms of increased impedance values and modifications in the conduction mechanism. These changes are contributed to distinct hopping carriers’ linkages between Fe3+-Fe2+ and Co3+-Co2+ ions. Dielectric studies are elucidated considering cation polarizability, colossal resistivity, and tangent loss. This study revealed notable characteristics of CoFe2O4/C nanofibers, including colossal resistivity (8.45 × 108 Ωcm), a dielectric constant of 22, and colossal tangent loss. The CoFe2O4/C nanofibers exhibit a characteristic electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of 30–35 dB. This remarkable shielding performance is observed in nanofibers with a 3 mm thickness, specifically in sample S1 that underwent sintering at a low temperature. The shielding effectiveness is demonstrated within the X-band frequency range.