Construction of core-shell structured ZnO/C@PPy composite as high-performance dielectric electromagnetic wave absorber

•Core-shell structure ZnO/C@PPy dielectric composite electromagnetic wave absorption materials have been fabricated through hydrothermal method and in situ oxidation polymerization.•The optimum electromagnetic wave absorption performance can be obtained by changing the pyrolysis temperature of ZIF-8 and addition of pyrrole.•The minimum reflection loss is up to −76.31 dB at 14.85 GHz with the thickness of 2.17 mm, and the effective absorption bandwidth (RL < -10 dB) can reach 6.38 GHz with the thickness of 2.25 mm, covering the whole Ku band with 15% filled.•This study introduces a new way to construct ZIF-8 and conducting polymer to apply to electromagnetic wave absorption as well as other fields.