Recent Advances in Neodymium as a Magnetic Nanoparticle Material Candidate for Microwave Absorption

Dea Dwi Ananda (Department of Chemistry, The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, Indonesia)
Thessa Octavia Joyetta Tarigan (Department of Chemistry, The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, Indonesia League of Geniuses and Innovative Cadet (L.O.G.I.C.), The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, )
Tiara Rizki Yulita (Department of Chemistry, The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, Indonesia League of Geniuses and Innovative Cadet (L.O.G.I.C.), The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, )
Kayla Sophia Putri (Department of Chemistry, The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, Indonesia League of Geniuses and Innovative Cadet (L.O.G.I.C.), The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, )
Hazzha Azzahra (Department of Chemistry, The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, Indonesia)
Sultan Napoleon (Department of Chemistry, The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, Indonesia)
Mayang Fauziah Putri Kuntjahjono (Department of Chemistry, The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, Indonesia)
Almanda Naura Candra Putri (Department of Chemistry, The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, Indonesia League of Geniuses and Innovative Cadet (L.O.G.I.C.), The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, )
Muhammad Afif Aji Patria (Department of Chemistry, The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, Indonesia)
Yusuf Bramastya Apriliyanto (Department of Chemistry, The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, Indonesia)
Rahmat Basuki (Department of Chemistry, The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, Indonesia League of Geniuses and Innovative Cadet (L.O.G.I.C.), The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kawasan IPSC Sentul, Bogor 16810, )
Nugroho Adi Sasongko (Research Center for Sustainable Production System and Life Cycle Assessment, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Banten 15314, Indonesia Energy Security Graduate Program, The Republic of Indonesia Defense University Bogor, 16810, Indones)
Akhmad Rifai (Research Center for Sustainable Production System and Life Cycle Assessment, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Banten 15314, Indonesia)
Nuha Nuha (Research Center for Sustainable Production System and Life Cycle Assessment, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Banten 15314, Indonesia)

Sorption Studies
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): Sorption Studies, Vol. 2 No. 1, June 2026

Magnets are materials that can attract or repel other objects due to the magnetic field generated by the arrangement of electron spin moments in atoms. One important magnetic material is magnetite (Fe₃O₄), which has been widely used and continues to be developed to meet the needs of modern technology. Innovation in material development is achieved through ion-substitution strategies, such as the use of the trivalent metal neodymium to replace Fe³⁺ in the ferrite structure. This strategy allows regulation of the microstructure and ion distribution in the crystal lattice, thereby significantly influencing the material's magnetic performance. Neodymium nanoparticles are known to exhibit superparamagnetic properties due to their tiny dimensions, so that each particle behaves as a single magnetic domain. These particles possess significant magnetic moments; however, their magnetization disappears once the external magnetic field is removed due to thermal fluctuations. The magnetic behavior of neodymium-based nanoparticles is strongly influenced by particle size, crystal structure, composition, and synthesis conditions. Based on theoretical calculations, neodymium exhibits a high magnetic moment due to its unpaired 4f electrons and strong spin–orbit coupling, with a magnetic spin moment of approximately 2.85 × 10⁻²² JT⁻¹. The characteristics of 4f electrons that are localized and protected by the outer shell produce strong spin-orbit coupling, contributing to a significant total magnetic moment and high crystal magnetic anisotropy. This phenomenon strongly aligns the magnetization along specific crystallographic directions, thereby stabilizing the magnetic orientation. This unique property makes neodymium a potential candidate for high-performance magnetic materials, including in high-frequency electromagnetic wave absorption technology. Nd-based magnetic materials exhibit enhanced microwave absorption performance through improved dielectric/magnetic losses and impedance matching, achieving reflection loss values below −40 dB with broad absorption bandwidths for electromagnetic shielding and radar absorbing applications.