Applications of zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterials in water treatment

Abstract

Water is one of the most vital natural resources on the earth. However, rapid industrialization and urbanization have resulted in the production of wastewater containing different pollutants. Nowadays, various kinds of pollutants such as pesticides, dyes, heavy metals, pathogens, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals have contaminated the water resources due to agricultural applications, industrialization, and rapid population growth. The large-scale production and widespread use of various pollutants can cause serious health and environmental problems, making it an important public concern. Especially, the pollution of surface and drinking water with different pollutants is one growing problem. These pollutants in wastewater usually have a synthetic origin and complex chemical structure which make them very stable to light and oxidation and very difficult to biodegrade. Therefore the development of more effective and low-cost wastewater treatment methods is important to respond to increasing requirements for clean water. Nanoscience and nanotechnology researches have attracted more importance during the last decade. In recent years the use of nanomaterials in water treatment has become increasingly widespread and is gaining importance. Different forms of carbon nanomaterials have been applied in wastewater treatment technologies such as photocatalysis, adsorption, and ion-exchange membrane filtration techniques to remove various pollutants. Zero-dimensional (0D) carbon nanomaterials including carbon quantum dot, fullerene, nanodiamond, carbon nano-onion, and carbon black have been used in water treatment due to their exhibited acceptability properties. In this chapter, we have summarized the application of 0D carbon nanomaterials for wastewater treatment literature in the past 10 years. The advantages, disadvantages, current limitations, and future directions in the development of 0D carbon nanomaterial-based treatment are also discussed. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.