Carbon Nanotube in Water Treatment

Abstract

The availability of safe and clean water is decreasing day by day, which is expected to increase in upcoming decades. To address this problem, various water purification technologies have been adopted. Among the various concepts proposed, CNTs based water treatment technologies have found to be promising because of its large surface area, high aspect ratio, greater chemical reactivity, lower cost, and energy, less chemical mass and impact on the environment. Therefore, research development and commercial interests in CNT are growing worldwide to treat water contaminants, which have huge impacts on the entire living systems including terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial flora and fauna. Here we reviewed most of the effective CNT based water purification technologies such as adsorption, hybrid catalysis, desalination, disinfection, sensing and monitoring of three major classes such as organic, inorganic and biological water pollutants. Since the Nanobiohybrid field yet remains to be matured, special importance has been paid on its mediated water purification technology. We have forayed into the deeper thoughts and compiled promises, facts and challenges of the important water purification technologies. Since water purification is a complex process; hydrologists, membrane technologists, environmentalists and industrialists can design “ONE POT” combination where effective water purification technologies would instate to tackle both the conventional and newly emerging toxic pollutants effectively.