Fabrication of microwave absorbing CoFe2O4 coatings with robust superhydrophobicity on natural wood surfaces

A superhydrophobic wood surface with microwave absorption property was prepared based on the formation of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles and subsequent hydrophobization using fluorinated alkylsilane (FAS). Meanwhile, sticky epoxy resin was worked as a caking agent by adhering abundant of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles to wood surface. The as-prepared superhydrophobic coatings on wood maintain stable superhydrophobicity after suffering a significant abrasion. Moreover, the complex permeability and permittivity of the coated wood composites were measured in the frequency range of 2–18 GHz by vector network analysis. The microwave absorption properties were elucidated by the traditional coaxial line method. The results show that the as-prepared wood composites have excellent microwave absorption properties at the frequency of 16 GHz, and the minimum reflection loss can reach −12.3 dB. The approach presented may provide further routes for designing outdoor wood wave absorbers with a specified absorption frequency.