Incorporation of nanocarbon materials of various dimensions enhances the microwave absorption properties of Nd-doped barium ferrite

Physicochemical features of nano-carbon (NC) particles significantly influence the microwave absorption performances of NC-containing materials. Here, we report the development of rare earth neodymium (Nd)-doped barium ferrite (BaM) composites with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and other NC materials (onion-like carbon and graphene oxide) to enhance microwave absorption. Nd_0.15-BaM composites containing 8% CNTs demonstrate a minimum reflection loss of − 123.12 dB at 7.97 GHz, with an effective absorption bandwidth of 5.46 GHz in the 2–18 GHz range. CNTs improve impedance matching and synergize with Nd_0.15-BaM, boosting absorption properties. The absorption performance is further tuned by adjusting the type and content of NC materials. These results highlight the potential of these composites for applications in wave absorption.