In this study, a composite material based on agricultural waste coconut shells was successfully developed as an efficient, lightweight, and sustainable electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorber. Specifically, coconut shells were used as the raw material, and a simple one-step activation charring process was employed to obtain coconut shell porous carbon (CSPC). ZnFe2O4 with a hollow spherical structure was then in situ grown on the surface of CSPC, resulting in a special ZnFe2O4/ CSPC composite material. Due to its unique hollow structure, porous characteristics, and heterogeneous interfaces, the composite material achieved optimized impedance matching, leading to excellent EMW absorption performance. The fabricated ZnFe2O4/ CSPC composite demonstrated a minimum reflection loss ( RLmin) of − 37.32 dB at 10.80 GHz and an effective absorption bandwidth of 2.40 GHz at a thickness of only 2.0 mm. SEM and TEM analyses confirmed that the composite possessed a hollow and porous structure, while the BET specific surface area was measured at 133.709 m2 g⁻1. Based on the synergistic effects of ZnFe2O4 and CSPC, dielectric losses, magnetic losses, and impedance matching, the potential EMW absorption mechanisms were proposed. The ZnFe2O4/ CSPC composite material prepared in this study was a novel, green, and sustainable EMW absorber.

Manganese dioxide, functioning as a cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs), demonstrates a variety of benefits, such as elevated theoretical specific capacity, outstanding electrochemical performance, environmental compatibility, ample resource availability, and facile modification. These advantages make MnO2 one of the cathode materials that have attracted much attention for AZIBs. Nevertheless, manganese dioxide cathode in practical applications suffers from structural instability during the cycling process because of sluggish electrochemical kinetics and volume expansion, which hinder their large-scale application. Doping and compositing with conducting frameworks is an effective strategy for improving structural stability. Herein, homogeneously in situ growth of Yttrium-doped MnO2 nanorods on conductive reduced graphene oxide (Y-MnO2/rGO), were synthesized through a straightforward hydrothermal method. The Y-MnO2/rGO electrodes have an ultra-long cycle life of 179.2 mA h g− 1 after 2000 cycles at 1 A g− 1 without degradation. The excellent structural stability is attributed to the cooperative effect of yttrium doping and compositing with rGO, which is an effective approach to enhance the stability and mitigate the Jahn–Teller distortion associated with Mn ions.