%0 journal article
%@ 2059-7037
%A Sridhar, Sanjeevi Prasath,Uthaman, Sudha,Pandurangan, Logesh Kumar,Kriele, Armin,Saha, Debasish,Wu, Baohu,Parthiban, Velraj,Murugesan, Janaki Vembu,Vijayakumar, Balachandar,Förster, Stephan,Radulescu, Aurel,Joseph, Brijitta
%D 2025
%J npj Clean Water
%N 1
%P 66 
%R doi:10.1038/s41545-025-00496-w
%T Nanoparticle-encapsulated organo-magnetogels: crosslinked network for broad-spectrum pollutant removal
%U https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00496-w
1 
%X In this contribution, we report the synthesis of a poly(4-vinylpyridine)-reduced graphene oxide-magnetite (P4VP-rGO-Fe₃O₄) organo-magnetogel (OMG), designed for high-performance pollutant adsorption. In the OMG, rGO and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles are in situ encapsulated during the chemical cross-linking of the 4-vinylpyridine polymer. The adsorption performance of OMG was evaluated using three model water pollutants, viz., organic dyes, heavy metal ions, and waterborne pathogens. The equilibrium adsorption capacity exceeded 400 mg/g for the organic dyes. Beyond dye removal, the OMG also adsorbed heavy metal ions, such as AsO2−, Pb²⁺, Cr2O72−, and Cd²⁺ ions, with removal efficiencies exceeding 60% and adsorption capacities exceeding 200 mg/g. The OMG also exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. Typhi, with almost zero viability for S. Typhi. The OMG promises a broad-spectrum applicability in wastewater treatment, offering a sustainable and efficient solution for water decontamination.