Efficient removal of arsenic by strategically designed and layer-by-layer assembled PS@+rGO@GO@Fe3O4 composites

•PG-Fe3O4 was successfully synthesized and used to remove arsenic in water.•+rGO and GO supported the uniform coating of Fe3O4 nanoparticles with PS.•Abundant and uniform Fe3O4 provide sufficient adsorption site of As species.•PG-Fe3O4 exhibits a high arsenic adsorption efficiency.

The PS@+rGO@GO@Fe3O4 (PG-Fe3O4) hybrid composites for Arsenic removal were successfully fabricated and well dispersed using layer-by-layer assembly and a hydrothermal method. The PG-Fe3O4 hybrid composites were composed of uniformly coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles on graphene oxide layers with water flow space between 3D structures providing many contact area and adsorption sites for Arsenic adsorption. The PG-Fe3O4 hybrid composite has large surface adsorption sites and exhibits high adsorption capacities of 104 mg/g for As (III) and 68 mg/g for As (V) at 25 °C and pH 7 comparison with pure Fe3O4 and P-Fe3O4 samples.

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