A novel methodology for the synthesis of the multiwalled carbon nanotubes/iron oxides modified by p-cyclodextrin (denoted as MWCNTs/iron oxides/beta-CD) was proposed using 1,6-diisocyanatohexane as cross-linker in N,N-dimethyl formamide, which avoided complex steps in the link of beta-cyclodextrin and MWCNTs/iron oxides via conventional synthetic methods. The characteristic results of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy ( SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that beta-CD was grafted onto the MWCNTs/iron oxides successfully. In addition, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and magnetic separation experiment suggested that the prepared composite exhibited preferable magnetic property and good dispersion property in aqueous solution. The effects of contact time, initial adsorbent content, solution pH and temperature on the adsorption of beta-nitrophenol (PNP) were studied systematically. The adsorption kinetics and equilibrium isotherms data fitted well with pseudo-second-order kinetic equation and Langmuir isotherm model, respectively. Furthermore, the adsorption-desorption experiment of PNP demonstrated that MWCNTs/iron oxides/beta-CD is a cost-effective material with high regeneration efficiency. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.