Abstract
Heavy metals pollution of aqueous solutions generates considerable concerns as they adversely impact the environment and health of humans. Among the remediation technologies, adsorption with metal sulfide nanomaterials has proven to be a promising strategy due to their cost-effective, environmentally friendly, surface modulational, and amenable properties. Their excellent adsorption characteristics are attributed to the inherently exposed sulfur atoms that interact with heavy metals through various processes. This work presents a comprehensive overview of the sequestration of heavy metals from water using metal sulfide nanomaterials. The common methods of synthesis, the structures, and the supports for metal sulfide nano-adsorbents are accentuated. The adsorption mechanisms and governing conditions and parameters are stressed. Practical heavy metal remediation application in aqueous media using metal sulfide nanomaterials is highlighted, and the existing research gaps are underscored.
Highlights
Most heavy metals (HMs) are soft metals classified as chalcophiles, a group of elements with a specific affinity for soft chalcogenides—S, Se, and Te according to the Pearson acid
Nanosized metal sulfides (MSs) particles can be composited with other NMs such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) [101], chitosan [91], carbon NMs [102], biochar [87] and ZVI [33] to form NCs with highly improved adsorption functionalities
The chemical composition and properties of the material appear to impact adsorption processes on nanoadsorbents. Parameters such as solution pH, initial HM concentration, and contact time have an impact on the adsorption process. These parameters and the specific adsorption mechanisms of HM adsorption on metal sulfide nanomaterials (MS-NMs) are discussed in detail
Summary
Most heavy metals (HMs) are soft metals classified as chalcophiles, a group of elements with a specific affinity for soft chalcogenides—S, Se, and Te according to the Pearson acid–. The novel synthetic MSs or their NCs, in general, are excellent adsorbents of HMs with direct surface activation They are amenable to fine-tuning for specific properties such as controlling the interlayer spacing and layer thickness through cation exchange [4]. They account for their robust adsorption capacities and the possibility to enhance their adsorption characteristics further Since their structures, compositions, and properties can be fine-tuned for meeting HMs’ exceptional removal from water, MSs are widely synthesized. Requirements for enhancing the structures of MSs to meet environmentally friendly and cost-effective sequestration of metal pollutants from aqueous media include strategies to transform them into adsorbents of high selectivity, capacity, stability, and excellent recyclability. Novel techniques have been developed to generate the requisite structures and properties of MSs, especially TMSs, for environmentally friendly abatement of HMs in water
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