The Fe2O3 nanoparticles have been introduced into the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via wet chemical method. The resulting products are characterized by TEM, EDX, XRD and VSM. The magnetic MWCNTs have been employed as adsorbent for the magnetic separation of dye contaminants from water. The adsorption test of dyes (Methylene Blue and Neutral Red) demonstrates that it only takes 60 min to attain equilibrium and the adsorption capacities for Methylene Blue and Neutral Red in the concentration range studied are 42.3 and 77.5 mg/g, respectively. The magnetic MWCNTs can be easily manipulated in magnetic field for desired separation, leading to the removal of dyes from polluted water. The integration of MWCNTs with Fe2O3 nanoparticles has great potential application to remove organic dyes from polluted water. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.