Synthesis of a magnetic NiFe ₂ O ₄ @graphene oxide nanocomposite for efficient and rapid lead(II) ion removal from water

The need to eliminate heavy metal pollutants, particularly lead (Pb 2 ⁺), has intensified due to industrialization and environmental contamination. This study synthesized a magnetic NiFe 2 O 4 @graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite for efficient Pb 2 ⁺ removal, characterized via Fourier transform Infrared (FT-IR), FESEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD), EDX, zeta potential, Vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), TGA and DTG analysis. The nanocomposite demonstrated an exceptional experimental adsorption capacity of 137.86 mg/g at pH 6–8, achieving equilibrium within 5 min. Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model (R > o.999), and the equilibrium data were best described by the Freundlich isotherm (R 2 = 0.975). The material's industrial applicability is highlighted by: (1) Rapid treatment kinetics enabling high-throughput wastewater processing, (2) Magnetic separability allowing easy recovery and reuse in continuous flow systems, (3) Consistent performance (>90% efficiency after 5 cycles) reducing operational costs, and (4) High selectivity for Pb 2 ⁺ in the presence of common interfering ions, as demonstrated by competitive adsorption studies. FT-IR confirmed the critical role of surface -OH groups in binding. This work presents a scalable, cost-effective solution for heavy metal remediation in electroplating, battery manufacturing, and mining wastewater treatment.