Water-soluble Fe3O4 superparamagnetic nanocomposites for the removal of low concentration mercury(II) ions from water

Functional amphiphilic oligomers were synthesized and could be easily used to coat monodispersed hydrophobic magnetite Fe3O4 superparamagnetic nanoparticles (MSPNPs) with 13 nm diameter. The resulting hydrophilic modified MSPNPs (M-MSPNPs) with abundant groups on the surface, which could bond with Hg2+, exhibit excellent ability in the fast, efficient and selective removal of Hg2+ from water samples by low-field magnetic separation.