Bridging Material Innovation and Environmental Safety: Aerogel-Based Magnetic Nanocomposites as Emerging Platforms for Water Decontamination

Currently, water pollution is one of the major global environmental sustainability and public health issues that requires efficient and viable remediation technologies, as existing decontamination methods face limitations. In this sense, this review aims to highlight the potential of multifunctional aerogel-based magnetic nanocomposites as a novel strategy for water decontamination by integrating magnetic nanostructures into aerogel matrices that promote high adsorption capacity, selective catalysis, and facile magnetic recovery. In this regard, providing a comprehensive analysis of their functional design, contaminant-removal mechanisms, and multifunctional performance is crucial for developing and optimizing a system capable of addressing complex pollutants through multiple mechanisms (e.g., adsorption, photocatalysis, and reductive pathways). However, ecotoxicological evaluations focus on the potential for nanoparticles to leach, induce oxidative stress, and cause aquatic toxicity, supporting the development of strategies that comply with safety principles. Additionally, this review examines the aerogels' capabilities for regeneration, operational stability, and scalability across repeated-use cycles, as well as their potential for real-world wastewater applications. Moreover, future directions for these aerogels include the development of smart, stimuli-responsive aerogels, machine-learning-based modeling, and the use of green synthesis approaches to enable sustainable water remediation strategies.