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Page 2 of 28 Wang et al. Soft Sci. 2026, 6, 8

INTRODUCTION
The rapid advancement of fifth-generation (5G) communication technology has remarkably accelerated the
proliferation and adoption of advanced electronic devices, bringing unprecedented convenience to modern
society, while raising serious concerns over electromagnetic (EM) radiation [1-5] . EM pollution not only
interferes with the precise operation of electronic equipment and signal transmission but also poses potential
risks to human health, including chronic diseases and long-term physiological damage. Furthermore, in the
military domain, radar stealth technology plays a critical role in defending against enemy detection systems
and ensuring reliable satellite communication, which enhances the survivability on the battlefield. In this
context, microwave-absorbing materials (MAMs) have emerged as a feasible solution to mitigate external
EM radiation, demonstrating significant research value and broad application potential in both military
defense and civilian fields.

Ideal MAMs should exhibit strong reflection loss (RL) intensity and a wide effective absorption bandwidth
(EAB), which requires a combination of excellent impedance matching and sufficient EM attenuation
capability. This combination allows microwaves to effectively penetrate the MAMs and be efficiently
attenuated through energy conversion and dissipation mechanisms [6-10] . Conventional MAMs, such as
ferrites, metal powders, and conductive polymers, often suffer from high density, limited RL intensity,
narrow EAB, and unstable performance under complex conditions. Carbon-based materials, recognized as
promising dielectric loss absorbers, provide advantages including high and tunable electrical conductivity,
diverse microstructures, low density, and high environmental stability [11-13] . Incorporating magnetic
components into carbon-based materials can introduce a dielectric-magnetic coupling effect, which helps
optimize impedance matching behaviors and enhance attenuation capacity to some extent, providing a
feasible strategy for designing high-performance carbon-based MAMs [14-16] . However, achieving such
performance typically requires a high filler loading to establish interconnected EM response networks within
a wave-transparent matrix, which often leads to processing challenges and increased costs in practical
applications. Introducing porous microstructures has been proposed as an effective way to alleviate
nanomaterial agglomeration and improve impedance matching.

Carbon-based aerogels with three-dimensional (3D) interconnected conductive networks and highly porous
architectures can effectively address the limitations mentioned above. They achieve this by exerting
dielectric-magnetic coupling derived from the carbon framework and the incorporated magnetic
components. In addition, they prolong the propagation pathway of incident EM waves and promote multiple
reflections and scattering due to the high specific surface area and porous microstructure [17-19] . More
importantly, the microstructure of aerogels can be precisely tailored through various synthesis methods,
facilitating the development of high-performance MAMs with tunable absorbing frequency bands and
multifunctional integration, presenting carbon-based aerogels as significantly promising candidates for
next-generation microwave absorption applications [20-24] .

Carbon-based microwave-absorbing aerogel materials have emerged as a prominent research focus in recent
years. Analysis of the Web of Science database reveals a consistent upward trend in carbon-based MAM
research, growing from 23.98% to 30.50% over the past five years, reaching 1,766 publications in 2025. In
contrast, the carbon-based aerogels account for approximately 60% of publications in the microwave
absorption aerogel field [Figure 1]. The research hotspot on carbon-based microwave-absorbing aerogels has
gradually evolved from the straightforward incorporation of heterogeneous components toward the rational
construction of specific microstructure with different defective, interfacial, and pore properties across micro-
to macro- scales, along with facilitating the synergistic effects of multiple energy absorption and dissipation
mechanisms. Recent review articles have systematically introduced the role of heterogeneous components
integration on carbon-based MAMs in promoting the magnet-dielectric coupling effects. Besides, the