Chapter 1 - Introduction to nanomaterials for wastewater treatment

Abstract

The extraordinary properties that will be associated with the nanoscale size of nanomaterials, such as magnetic, optical, electrical, and mechanical properties, are significantly different from conventional materials. Over the past decades, development of novel nanomaterials are under active research areas, and many of the nanomaterials were successfully employed in several fields, including chemical processes, medicine, sensing, and biology. Due to their enhanced characteristics, nanomaterials have been widely applied for catalysis, adsorption studies in water purification, and wastewater treatment. Generally, nanomaterials have high adsorption capacity and reactivity due to their high ratio of the specific surface area to volume. Many of research studies have reported on different nanomaterials and their performances toward the effective removal of recalcitrant pollutants from wastewater, which includes nanoclays, nanocatalysts, nanoclusters, nanorods, and nanocomposites. Due to the exceptional properties associated with the nanoscale materials, such as high reactivity, adsorptive nature, and enhanced catalysis, nanomaterials have become an interested subject to many researchers across the world in recent years. Different studies on various nanomaterials have shown the effective and efficient removal or degradation of various recalcitrant pollutants from wastewater treatment. The main aim of this chapter is to provide in-depth summary of the most extensively studied nanomaterials for several processes. Mainly, the application of metal oxide nanoparticles as photocatalysts, nanosorbents, and nanocomposite membranes are discussed.