Cao, Y.Sathish, C.I.Li, Z.Ibrar Ahmed, M.Perumalsamy, V.Cao, C.Yu, C.Wijerathne, B.Fleming, A.Qiao, L.Wang, S.Yi, J.2025-10-222025-10-222024Chemical Engineering Journal, 2024; 497:154610-1-154610-101385-89471873-3212https://hdl.handle.net/2440/147914The escalation of microplastics/nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) contamination in aqueous systems has ignited considerable concern. Magnetic separation has emerged as a promising remedy for the removal of these pollutants, owing to its notable removal efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmentally friendly attributes. This study presents the utilization of ultra-thin magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanodiscs (NDs) for the adsorption and separation of MPs/ NPs. Investigations revealed that these NDs could effectively adsorb/remove MPs/NPs across a spectrum ranging from micro- to nano-scale, exhibiting a notable adsorption capacity of 188.4 mg g¯¹ . Mechanistically, MPs/NPs adsorption was driven by both electrostatic and magnetic forces originating from the vortex domain of NDs, which can be well described by pseudo-first-order and Sips models. Furthermore, the NDs exhibited outstanding reusability, maintaining over 90 % removal efficiency even after undergoing five cycles. This research introduces a cost-effective method for the separation of MPs/NPs, representing a significant stride in wastewater treatment methodologies.en© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).microplastics; magnetic nanomaterials; magnetic separation; plastic pollutionJournal article10.1016/j.cej.2024.154610703789Wang, S. [0000-0002-1751-9162]