Nanoadsorbents for wastewater remediation

Abstract Emerging nanoadsorbent materials could be promising tools for the treatment of numerous water contaminants, including heavy metal ions, dyes, bacteria, and fungi, due to their unique characteristics such as size, shape, surface modification, and specific surface area. The smaller size of the materials with larger surface area and more active sites for adsorption lead to the sorption ability of these materials. The surface functional group is also an important parameter that enhances sorption ability and selectivity of nanoadsorbent materials. There is typically a relationship between characteristics (particle size, surface area, shape, and surface modification) and adsorption ability of nanoadsorbent materials, with higher surface area and surface modifications enhancing the adsorption ability. In this chapter, numerous nanoadsorbent materials such as organic (activated carbon (AC), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon nanofibers (CNFs), graphene, and graphene oxide (GO)), inorganic (metal and metal oxide), polymeric, and hybrid materials/next-generation hybrids are discussed with regard to water treatment. Strategies to improve the sorption ability of nanoadsorbent materials are also discussed in detail.