8 - Functionalized nanomaterial-based environmental sensors: An overview

Abstract

The release of a wide range of pollutants to the environment results from modern industrial life, which is a threat to the lives of humans, plants, and animals. These pollutants can be organic substances such as drugs, dyes, pesticides, etc., or inorganic substances such as heavy metals. Therefore, due to this variety of pollutants, various measurement methods are required, which should be sensitive, accurate, reliable, and fast and low cost. In addition to being sensitive and inexpensive, electroanalytical methods have a bright future in the online measurement of various pollutants, including gas and solute. The use of nanomaterials in electrochemical sensors, which has attracted researchers’ attention, is promising access to sensors with unique features. Different types of nanomaterials, including carbon and non‑carbon, have been used in electrochemical sensors to measure environmental pollutants. This chapter will review the electrochemical sensors based on nanomaterials, including metal and nonmetallic nanomaterials used to measure environmental pollutants. Also, the progress and development made in this field will be investigated.