Issue 6, 2024

Nanoscience and nanotechnology for water remediation: an earnest hope toward sustainability

Abstract

Water pollution and the global freshwater crisis are the most alarming concerns of the 21st century, as they threaten the sustainability and ecological balance of the environment. The growth of global population, climate change, and expansion of industrial processes are the main causes of these issues. Therefore, effective remediation of polluted water by means of detoxification and purification is of paramount importance. To this end, nanoscience and nanotechnology have emerged as viable options that hold tremendous potential toward the advancement of wastewater treatment methods to enhance treatment efficiency along with augmenting water supply via utilization of unconventional water sources. Materials at the nano level have shown great promise toward water treatment applications owing to their unique physicochemical properties. In this focus article, we highlight the role of new fundamental properties at the nano scale and material properties that are drastically increased due to the nano dimension (e.g. volume–surface ratio) and highlight their impact and potential toward water treatment. We identify and discuss how nano-properties could improve the three main domains of water remediation: the identification of pollutants, their adsorption and catalytic degradation. After discussing all the beneficial aspects we further discuss the key challenges associated with nanomaterials for water treatment. Looking at the current state-of-the-art, the potential as well as the challenges of nanomaterials, we believe that in the future we will see a significant impact of these materials on many water remediation strategies.

Graphical abstract: Nanoscience and nanotechnology for water remediation: an earnest hope toward sustainability

Article information

Article type
Focus
Submitted
04 feb 2024
Accepted
21 mrt 2024
First published
22 mrt 2024

Nanoscale Horiz., 2024,9, 885-899

Nanoscience and nanotechnology for water remediation: an earnest hope toward sustainability

S. Dutta, A. Sinelshchikova, J. Andreo and S. Wuttke, Nanoscale Horiz., 2024, 9, 885 DOI: 10.1039/D4NH00056K

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