{"paper_id":"0eaeeff0-8e01-48a7-9de6-b2125f744dd7","body_text":"Dimensionality and Composition Controlled Microwave Absorption in Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene-Polymer Hybrids | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Dimensionality and Composition Controlled Microwave Absorption in Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene-Polymer Hybrids Chandana G, Anupma Thakur, Nithin Chandran B S, Praveen C Ramamurthy This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9461814/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) titanium carbide (Ti 3 C 2 T x ) MXenes are promising candidates for lightweight microwave absorbers; however, the influence of flake dimensionality, composition, and exfoliation degree on electromagnetic loss mechanisms remains unclear. Here, we investigate microwave absorption in crosslinked polyvinyl butyral (XPVB)-based polymer composites incorporating Ti 3 AlC 2 MAX phase, multilayered Ti 3 C 2 T x and Ti 3 (C 2− y O y )T x (where y = 0.3) MXene, single-flake Ti 3 C 2 T x and Ti 3 (C 2− y O y )T x (where y = 0.3) MXene across the X-Ku band (8–18 GHz) frequency range. Etching Ti 3 AlC 2 MAX to Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene markedly enhances permittivity and induces finite permeability through interfacial polarization, conductive network formation, defect-assisted relaxation, and eddy-current losses. The results show that exfoliation predominantly governs dielectric loss, while multilayered MXene flakes and stacking enhance magnetic loss, enabling tunable impedance matching. An electromagnetic data-driven optimization identifies an optimal filler loading of 2.5 wt% multilayered Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene, achieving a minimum reflection loss of -59.3 dB at 12.6 GHz with an effective absorption bandwidth of 5.5 GHz at a reduced thickness of 2.2 mm. Multilayered Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene composites outperform single-flake and MAX counterparts due to synergistic dielectric-magnetic attenuation and enhanced multiple internal reflections. These findings establish dimensionality- and composition-dependent MXene architectures (with no oxygen in the X sublattice) as an effective platform for thin and broadband microwave absorbers. Physical sciences/Engineering Physical sciences/Materials science Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Supplementaryfile.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {\"props\":{\"pageProps\":{\"initialData\":{\"identity\":\"rs-9461814\",\"acceptedTermsAndConditions\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"archivedVersions\":[],\"articleType\":\"Article\",\"associatedPublications\":[],\"authors\":[{\"id\":633508963,\"identity\":\"142b9dd8-b53a-48e7-b13e-0f58522162b7\",\"order_by\":0,\"name\":\"Chandana G\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"Indian Institute of Science Bangalore\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Chandana\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"G\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":633508964,\"identity\":\"445e3150-3810-46ee-b175-edd99cbfe2a7\",\"order_by\":1,\"name\":\"Anupma 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MXene-Polymer Hybrids\",\"fulltext\":[],\"fulltextSource\":\"\",\"fullText\":\"\",\"funders\":[],\"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow\":false,\"hasManuscriptDocX\":false,\"hasOptedInToPreprint\":true,\"hasPassedJournalQc\":\"\",\"hasAnyPriority\":false,\"hideJournal\":true,\"highlight\":\"\",\"institution\":\"\",\"isAcceptedByJournal\":false,\"isAuthorSuppliedPdf\":true,\"isDeskRejected\":\"\",\"isHiddenFromSearch\":false,\"isInQc\":false,\"isInWorkflow\":false,\"isPdf\":true,\"isPdfUpToDate\":true,\"isWithdrawnOrRetracted\":false,\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"researchsquare\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"externalIdentity\":\"\",\"sideBox\":\"\",\"snPcode\":\"\",\"submissionUrl\":\"/submission\",\"title\":\"Research 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Here, we investigate microwave absorption in crosslinked polyvinyl butyral (XPVB)-based polymer composites incorporating Ti\\u003csub\\u003e3\\u003c/sub\\u003eAlC\\u003csub\\u003e2\\u003c/sub\\u003e MAX phase, multilayered Ti\\u003csub\\u003e3\\u003c/sub\\u003eC\\u003csub\\u003e2\\u003c/sub\\u003eT\\u003csub\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003ex\\u003c/em\\u003e\\u003c/sub\\u003e and Ti\\u003csub\\u003e3\\u003c/sub\\u003e(C\\u003csub\\u003e2\\u0026minus;\\u003cem\\u003ey\\u003c/em\\u003e\\u003c/sub\\u003eO\\u003csub\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003ey\\u003c/em\\u003e\\u003c/sub\\u003e)T\\u003csub\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003ex\\u003c/em\\u003e\\u003c/sub\\u003e (where y\\u0026thinsp;=\\u0026thinsp;0.3) MXene, single-flake Ti\\u003csub\\u003e3\\u003c/sub\\u003eC\\u003csub\\u003e2\\u003c/sub\\u003eT\\u003csub\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003ex\\u003c/em\\u003e\\u003c/sub\\u003e and Ti\\u003csub\\u003e3\\u003c/sub\\u003e(C\\u003csub\\u003e2\\u0026minus;\\u003cem\\u003ey\\u003c/em\\u003e\\u003c/sub\\u003eO\\u003csub\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003ey\\u003c/em\\u003e\\u003c/sub\\u003e)T\\u003csub\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003ex\\u003c/em\\u003e\\u003c/sub\\u003e (where y\\u0026thinsp;=\\u0026thinsp;0.3) MXene across the X-Ku band (8\\u0026ndash;18 GHz) frequency range. Etching Ti\\u003csub\\u003e3\\u003c/sub\\u003eAlC\\u003csub\\u003e2\\u003c/sub\\u003e MAX to Ti\\u003csub\\u003e3\\u003c/sub\\u003eC\\u003csub\\u003e2\\u003c/sub\\u003eT\\u003csub\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003ex\\u003c/em\\u003e\\u003c/sub\\u003e MXene markedly enhances permittivity and induces finite permeability through interfacial polarization, conductive network formation, defect-assisted relaxation, and eddy-current losses. The results show that exfoliation predominantly governs dielectric loss, while multilayered MXene flakes and stacking enhance magnetic loss, enabling tunable impedance matching. An electromagnetic data-driven optimization identifies an optimal filler loading of 2.5 wt% multilayered Ti\\u003csub\\u003e3\\u003c/sub\\u003eC\\u003csub\\u003e2\\u003c/sub\\u003eT\\u003csub\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003ex\\u003c/em\\u003e\\u003c/sub\\u003e MXene, achieving a minimum reflection loss of -59.3 dB at 12.6 GHz with an effective absorption bandwidth of 5.5 GHz at a reduced thickness of 2.2 mm. Multilayered Ti\\u003csub\\u003e3\\u003c/sub\\u003eC\\u003csub\\u003e2\\u003c/sub\\u003eT\\u003csub\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003ex\\u003c/em\\u003e\\u003c/sub\\u003e MXene composites outperform single-flake and MAX counterparts due to synergistic dielectric-magnetic attenuation and enhanced multiple internal reflections. These findings establish dimensionality- and composition-dependent MXene architectures (with no oxygen in the X sublattice) as an effective platform for thin and broadband microwave absorbers.\\u003c/p\\u003e\",\"manuscriptTitle\":\"Dimensionality and Composition Controlled Microwave Absorption in Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene-Polymer Hybrids\",\"msid\":\"\",\"msnumber\":\"\",\"nonDraftVersions\":[{\"code\":1,\"date\":\"2026-05-04 05:02:18\",\"doi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9461814/v1\",\"editorialEvents\":[{\"type\":\"communityComments\",\"content\":0}],\"status\":\"published\",\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"researchsquare\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"externalIdentity\":\"\",\"sideBox\":\"\",\"snPcode\":\"\",\"submissionUrl\":\"/submission\",\"title\":\"Research Square\",\"twitterHandle\":\"researchsquare\",\"acdcEnabled\":true,\"dfaEnabled\":false,\"editorialSystem\":\"\",\"reportingPortfolio\":\"\",\"inReviewEnabled\":false,\"inReviewRevisionsEnabled\":true}}],\"origin\":\"\",\"ownerIdentity\":\"96827619-35e2-4d66-bfba-8746925d104b\",\"owner\":[],\"postedDate\":\"May 4th, 2026\",\"published\":true,\"recentEditorialEvents\":[{\"type\":\"decision\",\"content\":\"Rejected\",\"date\":\"2026-05-07T08:00:17+00:00\",\"index\":\"\",\"fulltext\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"editorInvitedReview\",\"content\":\"\",\"date\":\"2026-05-07T03:17:10+00:00\",\"index\":31,\"fulltext\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"editorInvitedReview\",\"content\":\"\",\"date\":\"2026-05-06T08:29:42+00:00\",\"index\":30,\"fulltext\":\"\"}],\"rejectedJournal\":[],\"revision\":\"\",\"amendment\":\"\",\"status\":\"posted\",\"subjectAreas\":[{\"id\":67428403,\"name\":\"Physical sciences/Engineering\"},{\"id\":67428404,\"name\":\"Physical sciences/Materials science\"}],\"tags\":[],\"updatedAt\":\"2026-05-07T08:12:31+00:00\",\"versionOfRecord\":[],\"versionCreatedAt\":\"2026-05-04 05:02:18\",\"video\":\"\",\"vorDoi\":\"\",\"vorDoiUrl\":\"\",\"workflowStages\":[]},\"version\":\"v1\",\"identity\":\"rs-9461814\",\"journalConfig\":\"researchsquare\"},\"__N_SSP\":true},\"page\":\"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]\",\"query\":{\"redirect\":\"/article/rs-9461814\",\"identity\":\"rs-9461814\",\"version\":[\"v1\"]},\"buildId\":\"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd\",\"isFallback\":false,\"isExperimentalCompile\":false,\"dynamicIds\":[84888],\"gssp\":true,\"scriptLoader\":[]}","source_license":"CC-BY-4.0","license_restricted":false}