Dielectric–magnetic synergistic design of Ti3C2Tx@C/NiZn ferrite composite for effective microwave absorption performance

Developing a lightweight microwave absorbing materials (MAMs) with high absorption capacity at low thickness is a perennial challenge in materials engineering. Herein, a light Ti 3 C 2 T x @Carbon/NiZn ferrite (Ti 3 C 2 T x @C/NZFO) composite is designed by synergistically incorporating dielectric–magnetic components. The inclusion of C and NZFO enhances the interfacial polarization of the substrate and optimizes its impedance matching. Additionally, the presence of NZFO also produces magnetic loss mechanisms, such as natural and exchange resonance, as well as eddy current loss. Spontaneously, Ti 3 C 2 T x @C/NZFO composite achieved a minimum reflection loss ( RL ) of –44.7 dB at 12.5 GHz and displayed an effective absorption bandwidth of 4.27 GHz (13.53–17.8 GHz) at a thin thickness of 1.3 mm ( RL  < –10 dB). Besides, the Ti 3 C 2 T x @C/NZFO composite exhibits the smallest radar cross–section (RCS) value, which further corroborates its outstanding microwave absorption performance. This research offers a groundbreaking approach to designing lightweight and thin MAMs.