Due to its high isoelectric point, relative safety and low environmental toxicity, magnesium oxide has attracted much attention for its role in the removal of toxic dyes from wastewater. Herein, MgO-SiO2 composites with rough surfaces were synthesized by a one-step method. The as-prepared composites were characterized for the adsorption of Congo red from water using adsorption kinetics and isotherms. The adsorption capacity of the 20% MgO-SiO2 sample could be as high as 4000 mg/g at 25 degrees C, which is the highest value reported to date. The adsorption process of Congo red on the as-synthesized samples obeyed the Langmuir adsorption model. The MgO-SiO2 composite sample could be regenerated by calcination, and the regeneration efficiency remained for up to 5 cycles of the regeneration. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.