Synthesis and Application of a Third-Generation Magnetic Graphene Oxide Nanoadsorbent for High-Efficiency Aflatoxin Removal

A novel graphene oxide (GO)-based nanocomposite was developed for efficient adsorption and extraction of aflatoxins from contaminated solutions. Synthesis began with the activation of cyanuric chloride, followed by extension with the ligand para-aminobenzoic acid over three generations.To enhance adsorption efficiency and facilitate separation, the final adsorbent was coated with magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄), yielding a magnetic nanocomposite. The structure and physicochemical properties of the nanocomposite were characterized using FTIR, TGA, XRD, FE-SEM, EDX, and VSM. The adsorbent's performance in aflatoxin extraction was evaluated by HPLC, which showed high adsorption capacity and recovery efficiency. The adsorption isotherm data fit the Langmuir model well (R² = 0.9977), indicating uniform monolayer adsorption. A pseudo-second-order model (R² = 0.9958) further confirmed that the experimental data were consistent with the adsorption kinetics.The synthesized nanoadsorbent demonstrated exceptional efficiency in removing aflatoxins from contaminated samples, underscoring its potential as an effective material for sample pretreatment and separation in food and environmental contexts.